Never been Kissed
by Estella Greenleaf
Summary: Another Aragorn/Legolas slash.... Legolas is a shy introvert who returns to warrior training camp. Would he get more than what he bargained for? *completed*
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!  
  
Warning: This is a completely random Aragorn / Legolas short comedy set in a kind of alternate universe. There is still Sauron and orcs and stuff, but that's not of so much important. It is inspired by the movie Never Been Kissed, which I was watching for about the 30th time on TV Saturday. If you don't like, please don't read. This is also my first attempt at humor will differ VERY significantly in style as my other fics.  
  
Premise: Thranduil and Elrond had formed an alliance to fight Sauron's orcs. They started recruiting for a new joint army. After a democratic election, Aragorn, Elladan and Elhorir were chosen to be the trainers of the new recruits. Since all the commanders were from Rivendel, the king of Mirkwood was afraid he would be left in the dark in matters concerning the new army. He decided to send a wood elf spy into the camp, disguised as a new recruit to keep an eye on them.  
  
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Chapter 1:  
  
Sun was shining brightly in the forest. Not that the slight figure in the musky dark room would notice. He had been studying the maps of Mirkwood for hours, trying to figure out where would be the best location for his trap. The spiders had become increasing bold and a big problem for the elves. As the tactical advisor of the royal house of Mirkwood, he had devised a plan to lure the critters out to an open area where the elves could rain arrows on them.  
  
"Ah there!! At the base of the mountains," he exclaimed as he leapt out of his chair in excitement, thinking to inform his brother of his plans. However, the piles of books, scrolls, maps and papers that had been precariously stacked all over the room had other ideas. They were not happy with the elf's abrupt movement and decided they would take their revenge by falling onto him. The youngest prince of Mirkwood soon found himself immobilized, literally buried under an avalanche of information.  
  
Luckily for the prince, his brother had chosen that precise instant to make his grand entrance. "Legolas, have you figured out what to do with our spider problem yet?" asked Ramiren.  
  
Looking around, he was surprised to find his brother not in the study. Legolas was ALWAYS in his study. "Legolas?"  
  
When he heard his brother, the little prince tried to call for him. But through the sea of paper, the sound was so muffled that Legolas sounded as if he was under water. That was enough to draw Ramiren's attention to the heap of books behind the desk.  
  
Thank Valor for the keen hearing of elves!! Legolas made more noise and tried to move under the immense weight of his prized possessions.  
  
In a few minutes, his brother had managed to free him and asked, "How did you end up under there?"  
  
"They fell on me." Legolas answered sheepishly, not wanting to elaborate.  
  
"I wonder sometimes whether you really are an elf, least say my brother. Even a human would be able to dodge the attacks from a bunch of BOOKS!" said Ramiren, while shaking his head at his little brother.  
  
In truth, Legolas looked nothing like a male elf. Male elves are tall and lean, with well defined muscled that they developed from their warrior training. His little brother was short and slender in a most frail and delicate-looking manner. Even some humans are taller than him!  
  
Other male elves are beautiful to behold, but they are masculine; there was never mistaking them for females. But not so with Legolas; he had inherited the oval face, almond-shaped glittering sapphire eyes and rosy soft lips of their mother to such an extent that others mistake him for a maiden. Some even likened him to Tinuviel and said his beauty exceeded even the Evening Star. Not that that was a good thing, of course. Legolas was a PRINCE of Mirkwood after all.  
  
It would be better if he were ugly but an excellent warrior. That was not to be. While there was no finer tactician and diplomat in Middle Earth as Legolas, his skills in the arts of war were rather lacking, to put it mildly. Let just say a newborn orc could fight better than his little brother.  
  
"You have used every single plan I have proposed, Ramiren. Every single one of them!! I am sick of racking my brains to think up plans just so some WARRIOR could take the credit. All I wanted was to see my plans through, even if it is only for once, " yelled the normally quiet and composed prince before beginning to re-arrange his books. He had decided to pile them on the floor and not to give them the opportunity to rain on him again.  
  
"Legolas, you are the most brilliant strategist in the entire Middle Earth. But you are not a warrior. A warrior needs to be bold and daring, willing to take chances on the spot. And you are all about control," said Ramiren, trying to comfort his baby brother. He needed the little one's plans after all.  
  
"I can be bold; I can be out of control," answered Legolas, attempting to look as macho as he could.  
  
The older prince remained silent and simply walked over to his brother and tipped over one of the stacks of maps that Legolas had finished arranging. The younger elf immediately moved and started putting them back in order.  
  
"And you were saying?" inquired an amused Ramiren.  
  
"At the base of the mountains, the Orophin pass. Put troops on both side and lure the spiders in. The sides of the mountain would be too steep even for them to climb. There is a path on the right that would allow the troops to move behind them from the top quickly to close their escape. The main host of Mirkwood should be stationed at the opening of the pass, since they would most likely try to charge out that way," explained the youngest prince in defeat.  
  
As he watched his brother leave, he could not help sighing and shaking his head. Ramiren is going out there, risking his life to save Mirkwood. All I can ever do is make plans and negotiate with other leaders. Face it, Legolas, you are never going to see any action in your life.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Please review if you want more. I am not sure if I should continue this, since comedy is really not my style. If people don't think it's funny at all, I won't bother =)  
  
Note: Legolas is not a klutz. You will find out why he suck at combat so much in the next chapter if I continue. It is entirely not his fault.. He will improve with the help of someone we all know =)  
  
I made up the name of the pass. I thought Orophin was the name of Legolas' grandfather. You know, since we name our streets after famous dead people, why not name the mountain pass in Mirkwood after an ancient elf.. 


	2. Chapter2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. Trying for 10 reviews with the first two chapters, will not continue until done with Lucien and finished posting Shadow otherwise.  
  
I will be the first to admit that the writing here is not my usual standard, but I am doing this just for fun =)  
  
... = thoughts or instructions to readers.  
  
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Chapter 2:  
  
Legolas had been staring at the strange brown spheres for almost an hour. Mithrandir had sent them, saying they are a gift from the hobbits for his help in resolving a particularly nasty feud between the halfings and humans over the ownership of a small river a few months ago.  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
Even the Grey Pilgrim could not convince either side to back down and was of half a mind to use his magic to singe a few heads of hobbit and human hair to coerce a settlement. Hobbits talked a lot in general. Angry hobbits could make a loud enough racket that would make the Dark Lord himself want to cover his ears despite the fact that he had none. The poor wizard was regretting the day he decided to help the Hobbits; no, correction, things were so bad that he was regretting the day he had first MET a Hobbit when Legolas arrived onto the scene.  
  
The elf was on a diplomatic mission to Rivendel to convince Lord Elrond to join forces against Sauron. Ever since the little incident where Raphius, one of many princes of Mirkwood, tried to hit on Arwen some two thousand years ago, the two elven realms had not been in the best of terms. In fact, things were so bad that the previous envoys had been sent back disgraced and his father was about ready to raise arms against Imladris for the insult.  
  
However, by the power of the silvery tongue and golden voice of the youngest prince of Mirkwood, Lord Elrond and Glorfindel was won over almost immediately. Their only condition was that the chief of the new joint army would be elected by democratic vote; a term which Legolas was more than willing to agree to. Especially since he had a feeling that if any of his brothers were to command the army, the recruits would learn more about pursuing elf maidens than warfare. Because of his rapid success, the envoy to escort him back to Mirkwood was not due to arrive in another five days. Legolas saw that as an opportunity for adventure too good to pass.  
  
He journeyed West and came across the old wizard and the mob of angry Hobbits and humans. He used his identity as an elf and their legendary abilities to communicate with nature to settle the conflict. He said that he could communicate with the river and that it wished to choose its owner on its own; Until it made up its mind on who to call master, the two factor should share; lest the river becomes angry. Since to the Hobbits and humans, elves are creatures of beauty and light, they took Legolas' words at face value and settled their arguments.  
  
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Since the Hobbits sent it, the elf was sure that the brown spheres were edible. The prince had finally gathered enough courage to put one of them in his mouth when Ramiren burst into his study.  
  
"What are you doing still here? Have you not heard that Father required your presence at dinner tonight?" asked his brother.  
  
"You are joking, right? Father...required my presence? I bet he does not even remember my name," answered Legolas.  
  
"Well, I don't know if he remembered you or not, but he asked for the tactical advisor and chief diplomat in Mirkwood; and that would be you. So just be at the Great Hall at seven, okay?" said Ramiren as he ran off, probably to court yet another unlucky elf maiden.  
  
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Legolas was sitting in his room, waiting for his attendant to come help him prepare for the banquet. He had taken the box of small, brown spheres with him and decided he might as well try one before she comes. Again, just as the brown ball reached his lips, Luinil burst in the door, starting the prince enough that he dropped it onto the floor instead of his mouth.  
  
"Guess who I did it with last night?" asked Luinil, posing seductively, and perhaps a little overdramatically, against the wall.  
  
"Ronaldon from the fifth company," Legolas rolled his eyes and answered.  
  
"How do you know?" inquired a surprised Luinil as she settled behind her prince to start combing his golden mane.  
  
"You told me. Remember, last night you said you have a date with Ronaldon and you were going to do it with him," said the unimpressed prince. Luinil had been his attendant since he was very young and they were best friends, despite the difference in status.  
  
"He was amazing. You know he had this friend who is also tall dark and handsome, maybe we can go on a double date or something," suggested her friend.  
  
Legolas spun around and stared at her. "Who said I like guys? I may not look it, but I am male!!"  
  
"Oh come on, Legolas, who are we kidding? The only one you have ever been remotely attracted to was that jerk Romul, and if I recall correctly, elves cannot get more male than that," quipped his friend.  
  
"Alright, even if I like guys, I know the right guy is out there. I am not going to kiss a bunch of losers just to find him," said Legolas defensively.  
  
"But kissing losers could be so much fun!" laughed Luinil.  
  
The prince shook his head at her and continued, " When I finally get kissed, I will know. It's..."  
  
He was interrupted by a squeak of surprise from his best friend. "You have NEVER kissed a guy?" asked Luinil, eyes wide with disbelief.  
  
Legolas blushed and stuttered, "Of course, I have kissed guys.." Insert mental picture of chaste pecks on the cheeks of his brothers and courteous kiss on the hands of older elven lords here "I just never had this feeling."  
  
"That feeling?"  
  
"You know, when the world around you suddenly turned hazy and all you could sense is you and that person. That wonderful feeling that you are not alone anymore; and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you are so glad that you have found it and afraid that you will lose it at the same time." finished a now dreamy-eyed Legolas.  
  
Luinil just stared speechless at his best friend. The prince's words were beautiful, but that she expected; after all, Legolas did not become the best diplomat in Middle Earth for nothing. What she did not know was that her friend was such a hopeless romantic. Ah well.. she hoped her prince would not turn into a bitter cynic as the millennia past, trying to wait for a fictional perfect love; but only time would tell.  
  
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Everyone was quiet at Thranduil's table tonight. They all knew he was not in a good mood. That of course was an understatement; the king of Mirkwood wore an expression that would send the Nazguls fleeing in terror. Things had not gone well at the elections of the new commanders of the joint army. Elrond's twin sons, along with his human foster son, had won the election. The entire new army would be under Rivendell's control; that was worse than not having an alliance at all.  
  
If anyone could do something to change the situation, Thranduil knew it would be the tactical advisor of his court. The elf was brilliant in all ways but one, fighting. But looking over his table proudly, the King thought he definitely did not need another warrior. His fine sons had inherited his prowess and good looks, a whole legion of tall, dark handsome warriors....  
  
His pleasant thought was interrupted by the entrance of a small blond elf. Thranduil disliked interruptions, and especially when he was happy, which was not very often. The King of Mirkwood was quite well known for his fiery temper. His expression turned to a scowl that could freeze an orc army in place with fear. The slight elf seemed not to notice and quietly assumed his place at the table.  
  
That's our tactical advisor. He looked some feminine. He definitely does not look that intelligent, thought the king. He had indeed forgotten that he had met the elf before and Legolas was his son. But please forgive him, since it was very difficult to keep track of fifty sons and fourteen daughters. It only made sense that he should have that many children as Thranduil was quite a charmer with elf-maidens and he had been around since the Second Age. He was tall, dark and handsome after all.  
  
The King of Mirkwood explained the situation to the golden elf, who looked lost in thought. After a long while, Legolas proposed his solution, "We cannot overrule the decisions of the Council, that would be a blatant challenge to Rivendell. However, we must know the happenings inside the joint army so that we could protect our interests. The plan is simple, we send a spy into the camp, who would report to your Majesty any relevant activities of the commanders."  
  
Thranduil looked around the table for a possible candidate. All his sons took after his manly good looks and would be easily recognizable by those in Rivendell. Even if they cut or dye their hairs, they could never pass for anything other than Mirkwood Royalty. But the King hesitated to let this matter out of the Royal Halls. If they could send a spy to Rivendell, Elrond could send agents here too.  
  
"Father, perhaps you should consider.." Legolas was about to make a suggestion as who should be the spy.  
  
Thranduil turned and stared at the blond elf, "What did you just call me?"  
  
Legolas did not like the gleam in his father's eyes. Some plans were forming in the King's devious mind. "I called you Father, my King. I am Legolas, your son with .... "  
  
He was interrupted by a rough pat on the back that almost sent him flying across the hall. "Legolas, you enlist tomorrow."  
  
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Yes, round sphere are chocolate truffles =) 


	3. chapter3

Disclaimer: Don't own anything  
  
Please, please review. Since I get 10 reviews, I will be continuing this along with Lucien. I finished Shadow already and that whole thing is at my beta =)  
  
... = thoughts or instructions to readers =)  
  
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Chapter 3:  
  
Legolas was completely out of breath when he returned to his office. In his shock, he ran all the way back from the banquet hall immediately after his conversation with Thranduil. Though Elves do not tire as easily as humans, sprinting top speed down 2000 meters of winding corridors and stairs was enough to make any creature on Middle Earth breathless. The usually composed prince proceeded to slam the door shut and let out a cry of excitement.  
  
Finally, my chance to get out into the world and do something besides talking.. I must get ready.   
  
The golden Elf looked around him and was surprised to find himself in his office. All the things he needed to pack for this journey was in his room, not there. But in his excitement, the prince had ran to the place that he spent the most time in by instinct, which happened to be his library. After all, he was always there, except for baths and when nature calls. In fact, Legolas was having trouble remembering when was the last time he actually slept in his bed, instead of hunched over his massive desk.  
  
The youngest prince of Mirkwood was about to return to his chambers to gather his belongings when Luinil and Ramiren rushed in, both looking concerned and sympathetic.  
  
"Don't worry, little brother. I will talk with Father and have this thing all straightened out," reassured Ramiren.  
  
Legolas looked at his brother, deep blue eyes wide with hurt and said, "You don't think I can do it?"  
  
"Legolas, you are the greatest diplomatic in Mirkwood..."said Ramiren.  
  
"I am the ONLY diplomat in Mirkwood, everyone else are warriors or healers," interrupted the golden Elf.  
  
Before his brother could recover from the interruption, Legolas continued. He said looking at Luinil, "Remember that time you wanted to date that Man from Rohan and thought you couldn't learn Westron fast enough, who quizzed you on your verbs?"  
  
Luinil replied quietly, "Mr. Greenleaf."  
  
Turning to his brother, Legolas continued, "And remember that time when you wanted to learn how to play a harp to impress Rhianna, who taught you how to work the chords?"  
  
Ramiren grudgingly replied, "You."  
  
"See, this is my chance. I need to do this, not just for Mirkwood but for myself. Please." Legolas pleaded.  
  
Ramiren hated to do this to his little brother, but the young Elf had left him no choice. "Legolas, do you remember warrior training?"  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
A short, chubby adorable golden-haired cherub stood in front of his class of tall, slim dark-haired elves in the dining hall. They were all laughing at him and chanting, "Legless Legolas" repeatedly.  
  
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"Do you remember what they called you?" prompted his brother.  
  
"Legless Legolas," whispered the golden prince, still trapped in his horrible memories.  
  
"Legolas, are you okay? You look nauseous," asked Luinil with concern.  
  
"Nauseated, I look nauseated," replied the Elf in question before rushing to the nearest bathroom.  
  
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Legolas was a very late bloomer among the elves. When he was of age to join warrior training, which was about 150, he still have not developed the tall, slim physique of the Elves. He was still the height of a child and carried with him all his baby fat. Because of his plump round form, the other novices started calling him by his nickname as his legs were really quite short, compared to other Elves his age. To make matters worse, he was born with a set of buck baby teeth. Good thing that Elves too go through two sets of teeth in their immortal lives. Must banish mental picture of buck-toothed Legolas from mind.. shudders...  
  
Because of his natural disadvantage, Legolas was unable to have good performances in any of his combat classes. It was easy to see why he did not fare well against opponents twice his height and as many times as agile in close range combat. As for archery, he would have excelled at it trust the authoress' word on this for now....Legolas IS a natural shot , except for the fact that the bows they used for lessons were too big and the pull too heavy for the shorter Elf. Instead of designing special lessons for the young prince, the instructors simply gave up on him, believing that no matter what they do Legolas would never become a warrior.  
  
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When the youngest prince of Mirkwood finally calmed down, he found himself seated on the floor alone in the bathroom. He knew this would be his only chance to show his worth; yet when he remembered warrior training, his efforts to try to fit in and how the others just tortured him, he could not stop shuddering. The memory was so painful to him that he had buried it so deep inside his mind that he had forgotten it until Ramiren reminded him. With the vast amount of knowledge that was in Legolas' head, it was not difficult to conceal that particularly embarrassing stage of his life.  
  
Maybe this is a chance to redeem myself. I mean I have never lifted a bow or a knife.... except when I am eating or carving or fixing.... never mind.. that's not the point. Legolas, focus!! I am not a short chubby Elf- child anymore. I have yet to try my hand at warrior training since that first horrible experience. Maybe I would actually not be as terrible at it this time around. I will go to Rivendell and show all of them that I can become a fighter too as long as I put my mind to it.   
  
After shouting out "I am not Legless Legolas anymore" multiple times, the Golden Elf returned resolutely to his chambers and prepared for departure. He would enlist in the joint army at first light tomorrow.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Sorry, chapter kind of short, this story is harder to write than my more serious ones since I just have random scenes in my head instead of an entire coherent story line.  
  
Thanks Nina for pointing out that Thranduil is blond since he is Sindarin and Legolas' father. Genetically speaking, a dark haired parent could not have a blond child. But anyway, one of the running jokes of Chapter 2 was the "tall, dark, handsome" archetype of masculine beauty, I made Thranduil dark-haired.. sorry =) 


	4. chapter4

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
Got negative review from 'slash hater' for this story. Kind of weird that he/she chose to pick on this one, given I personally would slam Shadow first if I am of his/her opinion.... anyway, I am pretty sure that I put Aragorn/Legolas in the summary. But, maybe I didn't explicitly put this in warning that meant a MALE/MALE relationship. If you don't like, please don't read! Sorry, kind of cranky today...  
  
Easter Island: You are completely right, I was just under the assumption that Thranduril was a true breeding dark-hair since all his previous 64 children had dark hair. But anyway, genetics of Elves are definitely beyond me =)  
  
Nina: Yes, it would be really funny if he did dye his hair black...didn't think of that one..kicking myself on the head =)  
  
..... : thoughts or random ramblings of authoress...  
  
Lasgalen = alias of Legolas  
  
Need to change rating to PG-13, mind filled with inappropriate thoughts tonight, and it showed in story.. Now on with the story  
  
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Chapter 4:  
  
Aragorn was not having a good day. Correction, he was having a very bad day. Things had started going down hill ever since he received the letter from his foster father requesting his presence back in Rivendell to be one of the commanders of the joint army. He could not believe that Elrond had the audacity to VOLUNTEER him for that post during his absence. He was chieftain of the Dunedains and was handling some important business up North when the election council was held.  
  
Apparently, there were to be three commanders and trainers for the new recruits and his foster father, wanting representatives from Rivendell to hold all those positions, had nominated him along with his twin sons. The rules of the elections were such that only children or foster children, in Estel's case, of Elven Lords and Kings could be nominated, which gave Mirkwood a significant advantage in the numbers of candidates. However, that spread the votes of the Mirkwood supporters and not one particular prince could obtain a majority vote.  
  
But still, everything would have been fine except for the meddling of Lady Galadriel and Gandalf. Elves believed themselves superior to Men, and would normally not have voted for him to command the joint army. But for some strange reason, the wisest of the Elves and the old Istari decided to conspire against Aragorn and managed to convince, more likely coerce, the other delegates into voting in his favor. Ancient and powerful or not, the Man could not help wanting to whack them with Anduril very hard on the head. Okay, maybe not with the sword, but definitely something hard...maybe a hardwood staff of some sort.   
  
If Aragorn wasn't courting Arwen, he would have ignored the letter. After all, he was chieftain of the Dunedains; he could always make up some excuse and say he must stay with HIS people. But as the Man was seeking Arwen's hand, among other things, he needed to be on good terms with his foster father. It was exasperating how Elrond exploited this weakness. The Elf- Lord was hinting in not so subtle terms that if Aragorn did not return at once, he could forget ever seeing the Lady again. She would be sent to Lothlorien before he could say "Ni", which gave the Man no choice but to track grudgingly back to Rivendell.  
  
In general, it was a difficult task training newly recruited Elves. They had many natural advantages: agility, endurance and extraordinary keen senses. Because of these gifts, they tend to be arrogant and complacent. Elves did not take well to instructions and criticism, as they believe themselves superior beings in Middle Earth. Since they thought they knew EVERYTHING already, they would rather sing and dance than practice to improve their fighting techniques.  
  
While the task was hard even for experienced Elf trainers, it was gruesome for a HUMAN to attempt. Especially when the novices were probably old enough to be Aragorn's great-great grandfather!! The Man already knew they would not listen to him even if their very lives depended on it. No matter how he tried, he would probably end up being the token third commander of the joint army. And in Aragorn's mind, there was definitely something more worthwhile for him to do, like hunting orcs or killing wargs or destroying spiders or maiming Nazguls or annihilating wolves... Yup, Aragorn's favorite pass-time was venting his pent-up angst of being in exile on innocent, unsuspecting creatures of darkness.   
  
It did not help that it had been raining the entire journey; their packs were stolen during the night by some monkeys during his companion's watch and now Halbarad was engaging in an argument with a traveling salesman over the price of their last meal of dried meat, bread and cabbages. Aragorn decided he had had enough.  
  
"Halbarad, just pay the man so we can be on our way," said the Man in frustration at his companion.  
  
"I cannot. Remember our packs were stolen. Besides, even if we have the money, he did not mention that we must pay him when he offered us the food. It is a matter of principle," argued the other ranger.  
  
Aragorn was quickly developing a headache. The idea of drawing Anduril and giving both the salesman and his friend some slashes on the backside was becoming very tempting. But before he gave into his fantasy, a beautiful blond elf came to his companion's rescue. The stranger wore a silver shirt, a green suede jerkin and dark green leggings. Long, soft golden hair framed a delicate face. Intelligent, exquisite azure eyes regarded the Men keenly, as if accessing the situation.  
  
"How much did you say the food cost?" inquired the Elf with a soft, melodic voice. The voice was definitely the most beautiful Aragorn had ever heard. It was lilting, gentle and cultured, reflecting a keen intellect and a sweet personality. It made his spoken words sound like a song; the Man wondered what heavenly sound it would be for the voice to truly sing.  
  
"It's two pieces of gold, but these two ate most of it already...."answered the salesman.  
  
"Two pieces of gold!! I could get a five course meal at the best tavern in Bree for that price!!" exclaimed Halbarad.  
  
"Here you are, if you would be kind enough to give me the leftovers," said the golden Elf as he withdrew from a pouch on his waist the said sum. He handed it to the salesman and bestowed on him a smile so gorgeous that could bewitch even the Nazguls into renouncing their allegiance to Sauron.  
  
"Thank you. A beauty like you really shouldn't travel alone," said the salesman, as he stared at the Elf and licked his lips. As he handed the bag of leftover food to the golden beauty, his hands lingered and deliberately grabbed the Elf's. At the contact, the stranger tensed and tried to move away, but the other man would not let go.  
  
Aragorn definitely had enough. He was not about to have this golden elf touched by a crude, cheating salesman.  
  
"If you value your hand, I suggest you remove it from the Elf," threatened Aragorn was he drew Anduril.  
  
At the sight of the sword and Aragorn's very scary expression, the salesman promptly dropped the stranger's hand and started to flee.  
  
When the man was out of sight, Aragorn turned towards the fair Elf and asked, "Are you alright? I am sorry about that, I wish you didn't have to waste that money on our food."  
  
"I am okay. And I wouldn't consider the money wasted just yet. There are some uses to what's left in the bag, I think," said the Elf with a dazzling smile.  
  
Aragorn found himself staring at the golden beauty once again. This one was really in a class of his own. Being tall dark and handsome, Aragorn had his share of lovers, both male and female, elves and human. But none could compare to the Elf before him, not in looks or charm or the keen intelligence that seemed to emanate from the stranger.  
  
The Man gulped and licked his lips, as he introduced himself and his companion, "I am Strider, a ranger from the North and this is my friend, Halbarad, also a ranger. We are on business to Rivendell"  
  
"I am Le.Lasgalen," lied Legolas, as he remembered that he was supposed to be a spy and should not be using his real name.  
  
If he were supposed to spy in Mirkwood, Legolas could go around using his real name. Everyone knew him, of course, praises of the keen intellect and golden tongue of their tactical advisor was sung almost daily. They just didn't connect Legolas with his reputation. Please forgive the Elves of Mirkwood, but it was difficult to put a name and a face to the great deeds of the Elf in question as the said Elf was always in his office or away on a diplomatic mission.  
  
But since Legolas' name and face was well known in other realms as the chief foreign affairs liason of Mirkwood, he knew he would have to make up an alias to fool those in Rivendell. He sincerely hoped that none of the high-ranking Elf-Lords would be visiting their training camp, or his cover would definitely be blown.  
  
It is too late for doubts now. I will do this, and I will succeed. Legolas encouraged himself mentally.  
  
"It is nice to meet you, Lasgalen. I am very interested in what you have in mind for the leftover food. Would you mind if we tag along?" asked Aragorn.  
  
The truth was that he made that up as an excuse to stay around the Elf. The Man deduced from Legolas' interactions with the salesman that he was a shy type and would definitely ran away if the Elf realized what his true interests laid. With Arwen playing the cool reserved maiden that was hard to get, Aragorn could surely use some distraction. Besides, he had a feeling that this Elf would actually be able to carry out an intelligent conversation that did not involve "Do you like my new outfit?" or "Is that Elf pretty than me?". That alone would be worth the challenge, not having to wreck his not-so romantic brain for sugar-coated words to soothe his vain lovers. But the Elf's good looks did give an extra incentive.  
  
"Sure. I could use the company," said Legolas with a smile.  
  
God, must his smile be so tempting? Does he even know the effect he has on men? Aragorn swore silently as he found he was about to lose control of a certain part of his anatomy over one simple smile. It would seem that trying to win the golden Elf's affections before the physical demands of his body became too painful to bear would be a very hard challenge after all.  
  
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The Man watched with curiosity as Legolas extracted a strange looking device from his pack. It was a sharp metal pike attached a silver plate with a very long string. The Elf then scouted around the area before settling in front of a tree on the small clearing. He looped the string around a low hanging branch such that the large spike was suspended and hidden in the foliage. Although it started as an excuse to stay with the Elf, Aragorn soon found himself fascinated by the proceedings. It was clear that Legolas was setting up a trap of some sort, but he wondered why the Elf would resort to such tactics instead of hunting with his bow and arrows. The golden Elf placed the plate onto the ground below the spike and poured the food into it. He then pulled a small vial from his pouch and poured some of its deep red content onto the food.  
  
"Now we wait," said the Elf softly as he moved to a hiding place on a lower branch of a nearby tree. The two Men joined him after a short while since it took them some time to climb up the tree without Elven agility.  
  
For three hours they waited. Legolas watched the trap with undivided attention, while Aragorn was absorbed in watching the Elf watch the trap. The remaining Man settled for watching his companion watched Legolas watched the trap. At long last, a lone warg approached the plate and was sniffing at it. After a moment of hesitation, undoubtedly caused by the presence of a string attached to the trap, the creature began to eat. As the load on the plate lightened, it was no longer heavy enough to counterbalance the heavy metal spike. The sharp pike fell onto the unsuspecting warg, killing it instantly as it penetrated the beast's skull.  
  
Legolas smiled as he leapt down from his hiding place. The two Men followed slowly again, for they did not wish to risk jumping from that great a height. When they reached the dead beast, the Elf spoke.  
  
"Wargs were a delicacy in Mirkwood. They actually taste quite good if you prepare it right. This particular one had been following me for a couple of days now, intending to have me for dinner, it is rather ironic that I should eat him instead. If you don't mind giving me a hand, I would be delighted to share my catch with you."  
  
The Men looked at the ugly beast; the thought of eating this creature was not at all appetitizing. However, before Halbarad could turn the offer down, Aragorn cut in and said, "Of course, our packs were stolen by monkeys so a warm meal would be most welcomed. Incidentally, what was the liquid you poured on the food to attract the warg. I was sure that the beast though dumb would be too cautious to fall into the trap."  
  
Legolas smiled, which caused the Man to remind himself not to look directly at the Elf after a question that would provoke any movement of those rosy delectable lips, and answered, "A little of my blood. The beast attacked me before and bit my arm. I was lucky to be able to escape into a tree. I figured that since the warg had a taste of my blood, it would want more. And since I was already bleeding, I merely collected some to bait my trap. It was really all in theory, but I am glad it worked."  
  
Aragorn stared at the Elf in shock. It was not the sound logic and daring of the plan that surprised him. It was the fact that a single warg managed to harm the Elf. Lasgalen looked young, but he could not be so young to not have had warrior training. Any novice Elf could easily kill a lone warg!!  
  
When he recovered from his surprise, the Man asked, "Why don't you just shoot it?"  
  
Aragorn regretted his question the moment he spoke for the smile of the golden Elf's face had vanished. Replacing it was a sad expression that the Man thought should NEVER appear on the face of one so beautiful.  
  
"I have never been very good as a warrior. My entire family looked down upon me for it. That is why I am headed to Rivendell to join the army against Sauron. Maybe I could learn to be a good fighter and prove to my family that I am not useless," confessed Legolas, almost on the verge of tears.  
  
Aragorn never thought he would ever feel this way, but at the moment, he was glad Elrond had forced him into becoming trainer and commander of the joint army. He would get to see Lasgalen every day!!  
  
"I am sure you will, my friend. Someone as intelligent as you would no doubt succeed in anything you set your mind to. Now, let us take this beast back to camp, shall we?"  
  
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Aragorn was not a stranger to shedding blood of wargs nor was he unused to gutting an animal for dinner; but it was his first time gutting a warg for dinner, and the task was proving more gruesome than the Man imagined. On more than one occasion, he was tempted to give up as dark blood oozed out of the hideous creature; but one look at Lasgalen's gorgeous face intent on the task would change his mind every time.  
  
When the task was finished, he was rewarded by something rather unexpected. When he was still crouching by the side of the ugly carcass, the Elf had walked to his pack a few feet away from the Man and bent over to retrieve some cooking herbs. From his vantage point, Aragorn was given a very clear view of the Elf's sweet tight backside. Which from the Man's standpoint, made the entire dreadful task worthwhile. No, actually, it would make eating the ghastly beast worthwhile, even if he were to get sick in the stomach afterwards.  
  
Halbarad returned to camp at the sight of his chieftain staring dreamy-eyed at the behind of the Golden Elf. He had not seen Aragorn so besotted with anyone before, not even when the Man first met the Evening Star of the Elves. Halbarad shuddered to think what would happen if Lady Arwen were to find out that her Man thought another Elf more attractive than her. The Lady was by nature a sweet gentle creature, but when another Elf threatened to be prettier than her, she could turn into a very mean tigress, sparing no one in her path. He only hoped his chieftain knew what he was doing, tempting fate in such a fashion. Ah well, if the Man had a death wish, who was he to judge..  
  
Halbarad walked over to the pair and handed over the items that the Elf had asked him to procure as ingredient for dinner. Frankly, he was not too eager to eat any part of the foul beast, but since he had pledged loyalty to Aragorn, he was not about to betray the Man over a meal. Legolas thanked both Men and told them he could manage from here.  
  
"Why don't you go freshen up before dinner? It will be ready in about an hour or so," suggested the Elf.  
  
"Freshen up?" asked Aragorn. He was a human ranger and was therefore not familiar with that term. In general, humans had a much higher tolerance for uncleanness than Elves; on a long journey, the concept of taking a bath before dinner was quite foreign to the Man. Besides, the river was half an hour's walk away; even if he took a bath, by the time he got back to camp, he would be dirty and sweaty again from the exercise. Because of that philosophy, Aragorn tended to be a little negligent of his personal hygiene during his journeys through the wild. Okay, that was an understatement; he had yet to have a bath since he left for Rivendell four days ago.  
  
"Come now, Aragorn, we could use some cold water to cool our heads, as well as other things," said the other Man meaningfully, with a glance at the huge bulge under Aragorn breeches.  
  
The Man quickly elbowed his companion in the stomach to silent him and glanced at Lasgalen to see if the Elf had been startled. But luck was on his side, the Elf was not even looking at them, he was busy carving out meat from the carcass and marinating them with some herb-like substance. Aragorn wondered why the golden creature even bothered since he was sure no matter what the Elf did, a warg would still taste like a warg. The Man meant that as a derogatory comment to the said beast, though he had never tried eating a warg before.   
  
Though he did not particularly want to take a bath since he believed it a waste of his time, the Man did want to please Lasgalen. He would go to the river and freshen up as the Elf suggested. Halbarad in tow, the Man stalked towards his destination, leaving Lasgalen to his cooking.  
  
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When the two Men returned to camp, they found their noses assaulted by the delicious fragrant of basil, garlic and cloves. They watched as the Elf skillfully pan-seared slices of meat in a thin lemon-basil sauce. If they did not know where the meat had come from, their mouths would be watering by now. However, they knew what they were about to eat and that knowledge put a damper on the appeal of the Elf's cuisine. As Legolas divided the food into three plates, Aragorn and Halbarad fought over the smallest one.  
  
When the Elf noticed the battle, he realized immediately the implication and said, looking more than a little hurt, "You do not have to eat if you do not want to."  
  
"Don't be absurd, of course, I am going to try some," said Aragorn immediately, wishing to placate the Elf. The Man decided that it was wrong to allow a hurt expression to mar Lasgalen's golden beauty. As he picked up his plate, he gave his companion a small shove and indicated silently that Halbarad should also do so.  
  
What a Man would do to please someone they were attracted to!! Aragorn picked up a small piece of his food with his fork and took a small bite, prepared for the worst taste in his life. The sensation he felt as the meat hit his tongue was indeed one that he had never experienced. The meat was tender and juicy; the flavoring was just right; a subtle herbal taste complemented the meat's natural flavor perfectly; leaving every taste bud on his tongue tingling, wanting, no desiring more. If a person could find euphoria in food, this would be it.  
  
Looking at his chieftain's stunned expression, Halbarad stared at his plate in fear. He knew that it takes a lot to cause the usually unflappable Aragorn to lose his composure; which meant that the dish must be really something else. He whispered gently to his companion, "Is it that bad?"  
  
At that question, Aragorn returned to his senses and glared at his friend. "Do not insult Lasgalen's cooking ever again if you value your life. This is the best food I have ever had."  
  
As if making a point, the Man put the entire piece in his mouth and began to chew slowly. Without realizing it, Aragorn was letting out little sighs of contentment and pleasure. Halbarad watched the scene cautiously before trying a bit of his food. After the first mouthful, he began wolfing down his food faster than a starved warg.  
  
Legolas looked at the Strider and was glad to see that he enjoyed his cooking. It was actually the first time he tried making that dish. He read about the recipe in one of his many books. There was something about this Man that he liked; something that made him wanted to please Strider. It certainly was NOT the fact that he was tall, dark and handsome. He grew up with people like that. Except that Strider was a lot more muscular and manly than any Elf he knew. The way his muscles rippled as he moved and the way his stumbles grew to conceal the cleft of his chin and his strong square jaw were rather attractive.  
  
But if one thing Legolas learnt in his missions as a diplomat was that appearances could be deceiving and one should never make judgments based on them. The very pleasant physical attributes were a bonus, but what Legolas liked the most about the Man was that Strider believed in him enough to give him the opportunity to prove himself before passing judgment. No one had actually done that before. People always assumed that he would succeed at anything that involved his brain or his voice and fail at anything that involve physical prowess.  
  
It was nice to have someone who would try to understand him and want to know him better as a person. People were always interested in his plans just because they wanted to gain something from it; Strider was the only one who was curious about what he did, though the Man did not stand to directly benefit from it. Then of course, there was the fact that the Man thought he could become a decent warrior. Strider trusted him enough to even try his cooking, a warg no less!! With the Man as companion, the journey to Rivendell would certainly be so much more exciting.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Will have truffles joke again next chapter. Will have pipeweed joke as well, but later on.. 


	5. chapter5

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
Nina: You read my mind, that was my favorite line in the chapter; aside from Aragorn's violent fantasies, I like those too =)  
  
Everyone: The genetics of Elf hair color debate was getting more attention than I thought.. this particular story is kind of just for fun, so I apologize if it is not as accurate as it should be.  
  
Ihni: This story is short, in terms of plot. I do have a few scenes in mind that I must include.. depending on inspiration, I might just add random things I find funny in there... That's the long way of saying I don't know how long it actually will be =) This story doesn't have beta, and I am writing it as a stress reliever, which means that I will be posting every day, if not every other day. So, don't worry =)  
  
... = thoughts or random ramblings of authoress  
  
Lasgalen = Legolas  
  
Kind of sick, so brain not functioning quite properly, am sorry if chapter is a little odd...  
  
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Chapter 5:  
  
The Men found themselves enchanted by Lasgalen. While that as a fact was not surprising since the Elf was more beautiful than Arwen, the reason behind it was. Throughout the trip, the Elf could make wonders with whatever meager fare the rangers gathered for food and turned them into delicacies. Both Men agreed that they had never been better fed even at banquets, least say trips through the Wild. They still remembered the delicious brown spheres that the Elf shared with them after their first meal.  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
Legolas pulled out the box of strange brown spheres from his pack. He had brought it along as he knew he would be gone a while and the food would not keep. Encouraged by his first try at preparing warg meat earlier, Legolas was feeling adventurous in sampling new foods. He saw the two Men eyeing him curiously and he offered them a piece each with a warning.  
  
"The Hobbits sent it, so I am sure it was edible. But I have yet to try it; so you are trying at your own peril."  
  
The Men were not taken back, however, after their delicious meal, they too were feeling adventurous. A delicious sweetness and the flavor of strawberries reverberated in his mouth as Aragorn took his first bite. He quickly popped in the second half after he swallowed the first.  
  
The others too had followed his example, popping the whole sphere into their mouths. Legolas was particularly pleased by the blend the rich, bittersweet taste of the brown substance and the freshness of the strawberry filling. He definitely had never tried sweet that delicious before. Rumors about Hobbits were definitely true; those Halfings certainly have a way with food.  
  
As the Elf finished his sweet, he looked at Strider to see if he would like another. Legolas noticed a bit of strawberry filling on the Man's lips, and alerted him to the fact. Aragorn tried to lick it clean, but managed to smear more filling and brown substance onto his lips instead.  
  
Legolas smiled gently and shook his head, "Here, let me help you," before leaning forward and wiping it off with his slender fingers.  
  
Aragorn could barely contain his urge to take those slim fingers into his mouth and suck on them. Luckily, or should we say unluckily, at that moment, Halbarad also finished swallowing and asking the Elf for another. As Legolas broke contact with the Man, Strider reminded himself that he must have a private word with his friend later. ________________________________________________________________________  
  
Even Halbarad was more than a little interested in having Lasgalen as a lover now; the stoic ranger did not care much for beauty, but a traveling companion who could cook, that was something worth pursuing. Yup, apparently, there was some truth to the best way to a Man's heart is through his stomach. That was not meant to slight Aragorn's culinary abilities, which were more than adequate under the circumstances. The Man could boil water and roast, well it's more like char, meat on an open fire, which was more than what some Men could do...  
  
Not that the Elf was aware of the ranger's intentions. Aragorn made very certain of that. The Man had used every means possible, short of running his companion through with Anduril, to prevent the other's advances on Lasgalen. Aragorn had his sight set on the golden Elf first and was not about to let his friend cut in line. The Man, being chieftain, had been pulling rank on his companion every chance he got to send Halbarad on some errand so he could be alone with Lasgalen.  
  
The Man became more and more fascinated with Lasgalen with each moment they spent on the road. If Aragorn did not know better, he would say he was in love. But since he had much experience with relationships, he would classify how he felt as an infatuation, well, a very deep, intense, comforting, emotionally involved infatuation. The Elf was smart and beautiful, with a great sense of humor. It was always such a pleasure speaking with Lasgalen, who seemed to know something interesting about everything. The golden one was not just an entertaining speaker, he was also a great listener, attentive and supportive throughout the entire conversation.  
  
While the Man was used to attention when he regale tales of his adventures, no one had ever lent a willing ear to his problems. Well, that was not true in the strictest sense, since Aragorn had never opened up to anyone about his troubles. He knew who he was and that he must appear strong at all times for the good of Middle Earth. Most of the time, he felt like he was nothing more than a pawn in the power struggle between Good and Evil; that he was trapped from his duties, that he could never be his own person.  
  
Now, posing as Strider in front of Lasgalen, he found that he could speak his mind freely, that he no longer needed his cold, calm, leader-of-Men disguise. Of course, there was also that Lasgalen was so understanding and helpful. At first, the Man was hesitant to speak even when he was incognito and they were alone, but at the gentle prompting of the Elf, he found himself unburdening all his worries and troubles onto Lasgalen's sympathetic ears. Most of the Man's angst stemmed from his birthright, which he could not reveal to the Elf without giving away his identity, but Aragorn, being an intelligent person, had found a way around it by speaking about himself as a friend of a friend. A typical conversation would run like this.  
  
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"Tell me what's troubling you, my friend?" Legolas would inquire gently.  
  
"Well, you see, I am worried about my friend since he was worried about his other friend," the Man would answer.  
  
"Tell me, maybe I could help," the Elf would encourage with a winsome smile.  
  
"This friend of a friend, he was to be heir to the throne of Gondor, but he was not sure if he would be able to fulfill his destiny. At the moment, he was chieftain of the Dunedains and that was already giving him lots of headaches...." Aragorn would continue.  
  
The Elf would listen to the Man and, when he finished, either offer comforting words if Aragorn needed emotional support or brilliant advice if the Man was speaking of a difficult situation he had to handle. ________________________________________________________________________  
  
As Aragorn sat by the fire and watched the sleeping form of the golden Elf on the last night of their journey to Rivendell, he could not help a pang of regret in his heart. He knew tomorrow when they enter the city, he would have to be Aragorn again, the trainer and commander of the joint Elven Army. Though he would see Lasgalen every day, he would have to pretend that he did not know the Elf; that he was not Strider. For some unfathomable reason, Aragorn felt more than a bit sad.  
  
What I wouldn't give to have Lasgalen by my side when I take my throne? He would make such a wonderful advisor and consort. Wait a minute, what am I thinking? I am NOT in love with the Elf, I do NOT want to bind myself to him. I am sad only because I never got to take Lasgalen as my lover. I am disappointed only because I did not even get a kiss from the Elf. I am NOT in love with him!! I will marry Arwen when the time comes. Now repeat that again, I am NOT in love with Lasgalen, I am NOT... And so chanted the Man in his mind until the next morn.  
  
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Though Legolas was excited to have finally reached Rivendell where he could prove himself, he could not help feeling that he would miss Aragorn's company very much. The Man's tactics did not fool him past the first night. His diplomatic experience gave Legolas the abilities to deduct even the slightest trait of falsehood or emotions underlying a person's speech.  
  
The Man was just too animated with he talked; whatever the relationship was between Strider and the one who needed comfort and advice must be very close. At first, the Elf suspected it was a lover, which made his heart flinched for some strange reason, but as Legolas observed the interactions between the two Men, he could see clearly that Aragorn had influence over his companion. Thought the two Men seemed just friends, there was something in the way that Aragorn carried himself that spoke of leadership and authority. Putting the evidence together, it was not difficult to deduce that Aragorn, son of Arathorn, chieftain of the Dunedain, foster son of Elrond and most unwilling commander of the new joint army was the same Man as Strider, ranger of the North.  
  
He had been debating in his mind what he should do for a while. But as he still had not came to a clear conclusion, the Elf decided that he would take the wisest course of action in such situations, which is to wait and see and not act at all. Besides, he enjoyed Aragorn's confidence and he had a feeling that the Man needed it. He knew that anonymity was the only reason why the Man felt safe to speak with him; if Legolas were to tell the Man, Aragorn would close up immediately like a clam, but probably not before inflicting some massive amount of damage on the said Elf's being first as punishment for not telling him right away and allowing him to continue embarrassing himself.  
  
Not that the Elf thought Strider was embarrassing himself in anyway for sharing his troubles; Legolas believed that everyone, no matter how strong they are, could use some kind words and a helping hand at some point in time. Legolas knew firsthand how it felt to be alone, with no one to comfort him when he wishes a shoulder to lean on. But the Elf knew the reason for keeping silent would not matter to the Man, Aragorn was not the type to be trifled with under all circumstances. Legolas, being unable to fight, valued his life too much to tempt fate. Now, as they drew near to Rivendell, the Man still had no idea that Legolas knew his true identity.  
  
I really should tell the Man; But I don't want an angry Aragorn against me, especially since the Man was about to be my commander. I should just let him think that I don't know. He would probably pretend not to know me during training and that should help keep our relationship strictly personally, no, I meant business... Strictly business. Besides, I am a spy for Mirkwood; there could be nothing between us, nothing at all!! If Aragorn finds out about that, he WILL have my head....  
  
Shuddering at the mental image of Aragorn in a rage, Legolas' mind was finally made up. He would forget Strider, the kind ranger of the North; the only Man he had been attracted to since his disastrous infatuation with Romul. He would act as if he had never met Aragorn...  
  
  
  
  
  
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Sorry, not very funny. Not thinking well today... hopefully will be better when I get better =) 


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, not even Legolas action figure.  
  
Please, please review. Was the last chapter really that bad? I only got five reviews =(  
  
Was actually going to post later because of poor reader response and lack of funny inspirations, but since today is Legolas Day and I wish to honor our Elf by updating all my fics, I finished this chapter off today.... Sorry if it is not funny.  
  
One of the paragraphs of this chapter was inspired by the Secret Diaries of the Fellowship =) Part of it was inspired by Snow White.  
  
... = thoughts or random commentaries from a very sleepy authoress, stayed up all night to write chapter for Prince of Dreams to post today. Now enough babbling, on with the story.  
  
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Chapter 6:  
  
The trio arrived in Rivendell in the late afternoon. Their camp for the previous night was only 4 miles away from the Elven City, but both Aragorn and Legolas were determined to make their track as long as possible; walking at a snail's pace and stopping every couple of minutes to admire the beauty of the forest of Imladris. Halbarad was so bored that he too started observing the surrounding forest creatures in their daily lives. He was dismayed to find that a snail, crawling along from one tree to another on the forest floor, had actually passed them as the pair were now currently stopped yet again in admiration of the intricate patterns on the bark of an old birch tree.  
  
The ranger could not understand why those two couldn't just get on with it. It was obvious they were attracted to each other. They were always together; they walked beside each other only inches apart; they sat together when they eat and talk; they stayed up to accompany the other during his watch; they even slept side by side every night.  
  
Frankly, he could not believe Aragorn had not made more amorous advances on the Elf. The truth was that even Halbarad had been finding Lasgalen's appearance strangely attractive and he did not consider himself as such an Elf-fancier before. He would have made the Elf his lover by now if the Golden Creature seemed half as interested in him as Lasgalen was in his companion. Well, that was not exactly true; Aragorn would kill him if he tried anything.  
  
But anyhow, the Elf was gorgeous, intelligent and a great cook, everything a Man could desire in a lover. Given Aragorn's previous love history and his very obvious 'reactions' to the Elf's proximity, his companion really had been behaving more like a priest under the vow of chastity than the Ladies' Man he truly was. Halbarad was being to wonder if his friend was holding back in fear of Arwen. But not going the distance wouldn't save the Man from her wrath; Aragorn should know better than that. The besotted look on the Man's face as he gazed as Lasgalen would be enough to transform the Evening Star into the violent man-eater mode.  
  
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The time had finally come for Aragorn to say goodbye to his new companion. They have reached Rivendell and Lasgalen would be on his way to the army camp to enlist. The Man much preferred to stay away from that place for as long as possible. Once training started, he would have to spend all his time there, among his new students. There would likely be plenty of painful times ahead for the Third Commander of the Joint Army, as young Elves tended to be as mischievous as they were arrogant. Being the only Man in their midst, Aragorn knew he would be singled out for any tricks the recruits intended to play on their instructors. He really wanted to seriously hurt Elrond for putting him up to this.  
  
Seeing Lasgalen every day would have made any mishap the Man endured from his new students worthwhile, except for the tiny fact that he was supposed to pretend not to know the Elf. It was worse than not seeing the golden creature at all for the very sight of Lasgalen would remind Aragorn of the friendship and affections that were sacrificed.  
  
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As Aragorn watched the beautiful Elf walked away, he thought, Maybe I should try to go see Arwen tonight. There is still time to prepare a love ballad and make myself presentable before the Lady retires. It would take my mind off that Elf.   
  
It was customary for Aragorn to compose a new song exalting the Evening Star's beauty every time they met. In fact, the Man had to kneel on one knee and sing it out loud in the gardens for all to hear, while the Lady listened on a veranda above. If Arwen thought the ballad described her perfection adequately, she would come down into the garden and meet Aragorn in person. If she did not find the song pleasing, she would stay in her chambers, preferring the company of a 'magical' parrot to the Man.  
  
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The parrot was a gift from Lòrien for the Lady's three thousandth birthday. It was supposed to be able to see all living things in Middle Earth. The Evening Star naively took that as a fact for a gift from the Lady Galadriel would surely be magical. The truth was that during Arwen's short stay in Lothlorien, the Elf Witch had noticed how vain her granddaughter was. Galadriel knew then that any creature that could be trained to sing praises of the Evening Star's beauty would make a perfect gift for the younger Elf. She had chosen a small brightly colored parrot as it had an added cuteness factor, which Arwen would undoubtedly find appealing.  
  
And how right Galadriel was. Ever since its arrival, the bird had become her grandchild's favorite creature in the entire Rivendell as it knew exactly how to make the Evening Star brim with joy. Yes, she liked the parrot more than her family and Aragorn. After all, they did not fawn on her all the time, nor were they 'magical', well, except for Elrond who had Vilya; but her father did not have cute green feathers..  
  
Whenever Arwen asked, "Parrot, parrot in the cage, who is the most beautiful of them all?"  
  
The bird would answer always, " Thou, O Lady, art the fairest of all."  
  
The Evening Star could never get tired of hearing this, no matter how many times the parrot had answered her already. In fact, the Lady made it a point to ask the bird five times a day, when she wakes, after each meal and before she sleeps. Actually, that is not entirely true, for Arwen sometimes spoke in her sleep. Since the Lady was preoccupied with her appearance in her dreams as well, she would question the bird on those occasions as well.   
  
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Aragorn was racking his mind for a fitting love song for his Lady. He was a very gifted songwriter, especially when it came to love ballads. He had the charm and talent to match his tall, dark, handsomeness; but today, the process was proving rather difficult; especially with the phrases like 'sun- kissed golden hair spun of the finest silk' and 'eyes brighter than the blue sky, deeper than the sea' popping into his mind and inviting themselves into his song. He did not think Arwen would appreciate that much as the maiden has dark hair and light blue eyes...  
  
Frustrated by his lack of progress, the Man decided to vent his annoyance instead of going to see the Evening Star. He would challenge his foster brother in a practice match of swords. He found these training duels very relaxing, allowing him to release all his suppressed aggression and dissatisfaction with his life. Aragorn had bested the Elf more than five years ago, but Elladan always put up a good fight. The only ones in Rivendell whom the Man had not defeated were Lord Glorfindel and Lord Elrond; and no matter how much he wanted to hurt his foster father at times, Aragorn could not really ask those ANCIENT Elven Lords for a training session. Since the elder twin would undoubtedly be at the army camp overseeing preparations for their first day of instructions tomorrow, Aragorn had no choice but to steel himself and head towards the place he wished to avoid.  
  
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The Man walked into the camp at the sight of Lasgalen and a DWARF arguing with one of the Elven recruiting staff. He approached the trio as quietly as possible and stood a small distance behind the golden Elf to observe the situation.  
  
"But you have to let me join. I traveled all the way to Mirkwood only to miss the enlisting deadline by a day. The recruits had left on their track to camp back here, so I started my journey alone to Rivendell just to get another chance of joining the army. Please, I need to do this to prove myself worthy," pleaded Lasgalen.  
  
The other Elf sneered and answered, "If you cannot even be punctual, you really do not have the discipline to be in the army. The recruiting effort ended this afternoon, thirty minutes ago. I suggest you go home."  
  
"Well then you should let me in. I was here hours ago," argued the dwarf.  
  
"We will not have a DWARF in an Elven Army!! Leave before I call the guards, troublemaker," yelled the staff officer.  
  
"I am Gimli, son of Gloin. I am no troublemaker. I can no longer watch Sauron continue to cover Middle Earth in darkness and do nothing. If my people would not fight the Dark Lord, I would lend my axe to whatever Race that would; and it just so happened to be you Elves. I am not particularly fond of the idea of working under your commands, but I will do whatever necessary to stop Sauron," said the Dwarf.  
  
Both Legolas and Aragorn were very impressed by the bravery and altruism of the Dwarf. The Golden Prince of Mirkwood decided that no matter what happened to himself, he would give Gimli a hand.  
  
"If I remember correctly, my Lord, the recruiting notice clearly stated all able-bodied, brave fighters were welcome to join. It did not exclude any particular Race. The very fact that Gimli, a Dwarf, had came alone to Rivendell is testament of his bravery and abilities. Besides, one of our commanders is Human, so this is not just an Elven Army. If you were willing to follow the orders of a Man, but would not allow a Dwarf to enlist, other Peoples will speak ill of us, believing that the Elves were prejudiced and intolerant of those of smaller stature. The reputation of the Eldar is at stake here, please reconsider and allow Gimli to be a representative of his People in this new joint army. Only then, can we claim that our troops acted on the entire Middle Earth's behalf," orated Legolas.  
  
Considering the Elf's introvert nature and lack of experience in dealing with people in his personal life (which was practically non-existent), it seemed strange that giving convincing speeches was one of the things Legolas excelled at. The mean staff officer was won over immediately by his arguments and began adding Gimli's name to the draft. The Prince would have felt a small sense of accomplishment under normal circumstances; but not this afternoon, he still had not figure out a way to convince the other Elf to let him join.  
  
I guess I will just have to beg more. thought the Prince, as he spoke, "Please, my Lord, I am willing to do anything to get accepted into the army."  
  
A strange light came into the other Elf's eyes as he studied Legolas. The prince could barely stop himself from squirming under the staff officer's charged predatory gaze, while Aragorn was having an equal amount of trouble with stopping himself from drawing his sword and impaling the Elf who dared look at HIS ELF in such a manner.  
  
At long last, the older Elf said meaningfully while licking his lips, "Well, perhaps I can arrange a little private session between us and I will see what I can do then."  
  
The Man knew he could not really kill one of his own staff officers, but he wished more than anything else that he could. Instead, he cleared his throat loudly and drew back his hood. If looks could kill, the older Elf would be dead as Aragorn glared daggers at him. The staff officer immediately recognized his commander, to be exact, an extremely furious commander of the joint army. The Man looked as if he wanted to hack him into a thousand pieces, well, more like a million pieces. That expression was enough to make an army of Orcs flee for their lives.  
  
The Elf cowered in fear and stuttered apologetically, "Forget I said that. I will put you on the draft right away, Master Lasgalen. I hope you don't mind, but I will be putting you in the same room as the Dwarf."  
  
"It will be fine, thank you," said the Elf, as he turned to smile at Aragorn. He knew that the Man must have frightened the staff officer into allowing him to join. He missed the look on Aragorn's face but he was sure it must have been something to cause an Elven warrior to lose his composure that way.  
  
His smile faded when the Man did not acknowledge him and simply walked away. Legolas had expected this, but it still hurt. But before any more dark thoughts could enter his mind, his new roommate interrupted him.  
  
"You surely are strange for an Elf. I daresay none other would have helped me as you did just now, nor could they. I don't like Elves in general, but I don't think I will mind sharing a room with you that much. Should we go find our room and then the dining area? I am so hungry that I can eat a horse!" said Gimli enthusiastically as he began walking quickly towards the barracks.  
  
The Elf smiled and followed suit, his longer strides allowing him to catch up easily with the shorter Dwarf. Though Legolas might have lost Strider as a friend today, he was sure he had gained a different one in Gimli the Dwarf. 


	7. chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own anything!!  
  
Please, please review.  
  
I am writing this to appease my angry reviewers. Been really busy lately. Not to mention Prince of Dreams is giving me trouble.  
  
Ihni: Sorry that I cannot grant your wish. But I am writing as quickly as I can =) Too many things to do at one time. Have grant and abstract due for work in mid November =(  
  
.. = thoughts or random rambling of authoress.  
  
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Chapter 7:  
  
It was still many hours from dawn. Legolas laid wide awake on his bed, too nervous to get any sleep. Gimli's thunderous snore did not help. The Elf was glad that none of their neighbors had come to complain about the noise. Since slumber evaded him, the Prince decided to take a stroll around the camp outside. But even the tranquility of the forest could not soothe the Elf's troubled mind as he remembered the first day of his warrior training long ago.  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
Being prince, Legolas arrived at the training camp with his own entourage of guards. His fellow trainees seemed kind to him, allowing him to stand at the front in the middle of the line for archery class. They did not even jeer at him when his arrows all fell to the ground before reaching the target. However, the moment his guardians believed their little prince had settled in and left, his torture began.  
  
The other Elves pushed him out of the way and laughed at him, telling him that a fat ugly child like him didn't belong there at all. One of them proceeded to steal his quiver and dangled it high, just above his reach. Legolas tried to jump up to grab at it, but with his stubby little legs, he could not leap high enough to get it. He would have been in tears, but he was a Prince and he refused to cry. The young Elf knew he could not fight them with his strength; if he were to get his arrows back, he would have to use his wits and cunning. Instead of jumping directly upwards, he leant forward when he leapt. Though he still could not reach his target, the chubby Elf landed squarely on the feet of his tormentor. The taller Elf yelped in pain and promptly dropped Legolas' quiver as he bent over to check his feet. Though the Elven prince had won a victory that day in regaining his arrows, he had made enemies with his entire class. From that day on, Legolas' warrior training had turned into a living hell.  
  
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Legolas decided that he would sing of his fears of the past the same way that other Elves sing to release their grief. He hoped it would help calm his mind and ease his nerves. The golden Elf glanced around one more time to ensure that he was alone before raising his voice.  
  
// Heart don't fail me now, courage don't desert me. Don't turn back now that we are here. People always say life is full of choices; no one ever mentions fear. Or how the road could seem so long. Or how the world can seem so vast. Courage see me through, heart I trust in you, in this journey to the past. //  
  
When he continued into the second verse, he was surprised to find an adorable little green parrot sing along with him. He stopped and went to the branch where the bird sat. He held out his hand and said, "Come here, little fellow. Don't be scared."  
  
Legolas' voice and smile was so beautiful that the parrot was completely enchanted. Though it had won its freedom not long ago, the bird flew from his branch and took its perch on the Golden Elf's outstretched hand. When the Prince gave the little critter another bewitching smile, it puffed its chest feathers and began repeating, "Thou, O Lady, art the fairest of all" on its own accord.  
  
The Elf laughed and asked the parrot, "Do I really look that much like a girl?" The musical sound excited the bird even more and it started to chirp and sing its line instead of just speaking it.  
  
"Well, I suppose I will have to find you a little treat for your praises. Or should I say to keep your beak busy so you will stop singing them," laughed Legolas as he started back to camp with the parrot.  
  
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He looked at the parrot firmly when he told it to remain quiet when they entered camp. "If they find you, I will get into trouble. We are not supposed to have pets in the army."  
  
To his surprise, the little bird stopped singing and huddled into a ball, trying to make itself as invisible as possible. Legolas smiled at the parrot and sensing the Elf's approval, it tried to curl up even tighter. The two made it to his room without incident and the Prince proceeded to dig through its pack for some food, which was very difficult to do with the bird attached to his hand.  
  
"Please go sit on the chair while I find some treats for you," whispered the Elf, not wanting to wake the sleeping Gimli.  
  
The parrot looked solemnly at the Prince for a moment and resolutely shook his small head. It was refusing to let go; if anything, it clutched at Legolas' fingers even tighter, almost to the point of pain.  
  
"I cannot do this with one hand, my friend. Please let go," pleaded the Elf who was becoming worried that the bird wanted to be a permanent addition to his hand. That would not do since training starts tomorrow.  
  
Once again, the bird responded by shaking its head and tightening its grip. This time, Legolas cried out in pain as the parrot's claws dug into his flesh. The soft sound woke the sleeping Dwarf who leapt from his bed, axe in hand; ready to strike at the one who intruded his sweet slumber. The enamored bird perceived the Dwarf's actions as a danger to its new master and promptly flew off Legolas' hand and started pecking furiously at Gimli's beard. Since groggy from his sleep, Gimli tried to hit the small critter with his axe, but only succeeded in destroy one of the chairs in their bunk. The noise had now awoken the entire army and if Elves made sound when they walked, footsteps heading towards the Prince's room would be echoing throughout the camp.  
  
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The door burst open and a very annoyed Aragorn marched into the room to find the Dwarf battling a small green parrot with an axe. It would have been a very humorous sight, if it were not 4am in the morning. The Man survey the scene again and froze in horror to find that the bird was none other than Arwen's favorite pet that escaped two days ago.  
  
Elrohir still bore the wounds from that unfortunate incident; and he was an Elf, who had superior healing abilities. The Elf wanted to see his sister and found the door open. He walked in and was immediately charmed by the cute little 'magical' parrot that started singing for him. He decided he would reward it with a treat and was about to feed it when Arwen walked in. The Lady was anxious to get her brother away from HER parrot and in her haste to push Elrohir away, she knocked over the cage that held the bird. Without any hesitation, the critter flew out of the room and made haste in clearing the gardens of Rivendell.  
  
Yup, the bird was not very happy with its stay with Arwen. I mean, how many times can one say "Thou, O Lady, art the fairest of all" without getting sick of it. Especially to someone who it didn't think is beautiful at all. If Arwen is another cute little FEMALE PARROT, that would be a different story; or in Legolas' case, if the person could sing more beautifully than any cute little FEMALE parrot. But in any case, let us just say the small bird relishes in its freedom.   
  
The Lady blamed the younger twin for the escape and the tortured screams of one of the commanders of the new joint army reverberated in Rivendell's halls. On hearing those awful sounds, one would think they have entered the dungeons of Baradûr instead of the palace of an Elven City.  
  
If anything happened to that blasted bird, they would all be doomed. The Man quickly stepped into the fray and seized the shaft of Gimli's axe from above. The critter made full use of the advantage and renewed its attack on the Dwarf's eyebrows, causing him to groan aloud and struggle against Aragorn's hold. Legolas who was watching the scene in muted horror finally regained his senses and let out a frustrated, "Stop it, all of you."  
  
To everyone's surprise, both the bird and the Dwarf stopped in their tracks. Well, not entirely since the parrot needed to flap its wings to stay aloft. But very quickly, it flew back to the golden Elf and reattached itself to his hand. At this time, all three commanders of the joint army had arrived on the scene and Elrohir was staring at the small bird that had caused him so much pain.  
  
He knew when he told Arwen that her parrot was with this blond Elf, he would no longer be the only one in pain. The Lady would undoubtedly assume this new recruit abducted her pet and unleashed her awesome fury on the said creature. He felt sympathy for this gorgeous young Elf, who would not stand a chance against his little sister in her Arwen, the destroyer mode. This one's beauty would only make things worse since the Elf was far more exquisite than his sister. His sun-kissed silken tresses, shining azure eyes, delicately sculpted features and lithe sensuous body were what dreams were made of. If Elrohir had not tasted Arwen's wrath firsthand, he would offer to protect this golden Elf. But since he had, he could only wish the new recruit luck.  
  
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"Lasgalen, hand the bird over to us and we will all forget what happened tonight," asked the Man.  
  
"I would love to, but it seemed that the parrot had grown rather attached to me," answered Legolas sheepishly.  
  
"I would say. If only it was that attached to Arwen," snickered Elladan, who promptly received an elbow in the stomach from his younger twin.  
  
Aragorn scratched his head as he tried to think of a solution. He too knew Lasgalen would be in lots of trouble if the Lady found out he had her pet. Not to mention that the bird seemed completely smitten by the golden Elf. That was when the idea struck him. The parrot seemed to enjoy attacking his enemy's hair, targeting the Dwarf's beard and eyebrows. If he could get the critter jealous enough, maybe it will attack his head and his foster brothers could use their superior reflexes to catch it while it was away from Lasgalen. Okay, who are we kidding? He had wanted to do this every since he laid eyes of the beautiful Elf but was just too afraid to jeopardized their friendship for it. But since Aragorn was supposed to ignore Lasgalen from now, the Man really had nothing to lose.   
  
Slowly, Aragorn approached the golden Elf and stood in front of him. He held those gorgeous glittering sapphire eyes with his stormy grey ones and leant close until they were only inches apart.  
  
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Legolas knew what the Man wanted to do. He knew he should turn away, but Aragorn's eyes held him captive. The Elf found himself unable to move and wanting to know how the Man's lips would feel on his own. He had never been kissed before and throughout their journey to Rivendell, the Elf had found himself wondering, on more than one occasion, how being kissed by Aragorn would be like. He held his breath as the Man moved closer and claimed his lips.  
  
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The Elf's lips felt so smooth and warm that Aragorn found himself wanting more. He deepened the kiss, using his tongue to demand entry. A gasp of surprise from the Elf at his touch gave the Man the opportunity he needed to slip his tongue into Lasgalen's mouth. The Elf tasted so sweet and enticing. A hesitant tongue rubbed against his, making Aragorn groan in pleasure. Soon, the Man forgot his entire plan to recapture Arwen's pet, as well as the fact that the entire camp was there watching them.  
  
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Legolas knew the moment the Man touched his lips that he was the One. As Aragorn deepened the kiss and claimed his mouth, the Elf could feel the whole world around them becoming hazy until there was nothing left but the two of them and the feeling of the Man's lips upon his. This was what he wanted, what he waited for, his one true love.  
  
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Aragorn's plan had worked, the jealous parrot was pecking very hard at the Man's head, but he was too enrapt in the kiss to notice the small chunk of hair that the bird had succeeded in pulling out. Without much difficulty, the twin Elven commanders of the army captured the bird and constructed a makeshift jail for the misbehaving critter from a trash can. When their task was done, they called out to their foster brother that everything was finished and that he could stop kissing the Elf now. The Man responded by wrapping one hand around the golden creature's hair and pulling his head back for a deeper kiss. They did their duties as good siblings and dispersed the on-looking recruits quietly. After that, they walked outside the room and made bets on how long the kiss would last.  
  
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Twenty minutes later, a very breathless and confused Man emerged from the room, leaving an equally breathless and confused Elf inside. He walked past the twins without even noticing their warnings to him, "You are in serious trouble, little brother." 


	8. chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. Got two towers game Monday, been playing lots. If people want me to spend more time fantasizing about my favorite Elf instead of playing with him, review.  
  
Been staying up every night for the past week trying to get a Perfect rating for Legolas in game, and am very, very sleepy. I am apologizing in advance if chapter seems a little strange. Not to mention, it's not too funny. Brain not function properly for coming out with good jokes..  
  
... = thoughts or ramblings of authoress.  
  
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Chapter 8:  
  
Legolas had been standing in the center of the room, staring at the closed door for the past hour. His mind was still completely enrapt in the feeling of the Man's lips upon his. Gimli hoped the Elf would recover soon for dawn was fast approaching. Their first day of training would begin at first light.  
  
Besides, the Dwarf wanted to remove the reminiscence of his battle with the blasted bird. If news of this got to his comrades in the Glittering Caves, he would be the laughing stock of the group for as long as he lived. Correction, the fight would probably go down into legend as one of the most hilarious matches in history. Compounded with the fact that Gimli had willing joined an army of Elves, the poor Dwarf will be ridiculed for all eternity by his kind.   
  
Gimli tried asking the Elf to move aside so he could clean up the broken furniture in the room. When he got no response from his roommate, the Dwarf poked Legolas to try to get his attention; but to no avail. Still trapped in the fantasy world created by Aragorn's kiss, the Elf moaned softly at the touch, mistaking it for a caress from his beloved. The Dwarf knew then that it would be impossible to wake the Prince from his reverie any time soon. Instead, he tried to pull the rubble from under the Elf's feet. One could imagine what happened next. As a particularly large piece of broken furniture moved from the Dwarf's strong pull, the catatonic Elf lost his balance. Soon, Gimli found himself pinned to the ground by his roommates still form. The Dwarf let out an indignant cry and shoved the Prince off with enough force to send him rolling back on top of the pile of rubble.  
  
This was all Aragorn's fault. If the Man hadn't kissed Legolas, this would not be happening. Yes, Legolas told the Dwarf his real identity. The Elf figured it would be easier to fulfill his mission with an ally. His sharp diplomatic instinct told him that Gimli thought of him as a friend and would not betray him.   
  
Over dinner, the Dwarf had a lengthy talk with his new roommate. Though Gimli was prejudiced against Elves, he found himself liking the Elven Prince. Legolas was not arrogant like the other Elves; he was self- effacing, intelligent and objective. Gimli had never heard of an Elf who admired the courage of a Dwarf. But Legolas had openly admitted that he thought Gimli brave and noble for helping in their fight against Sauron. The Dwarf still could hardly believe Legolas was from Thranduil's halls. The fact that the Elf grew into the wonderful person he was under the influences of a family of arrogant, power hungry and self centered individuals was very impressive to Gimli. Though the Dwarf did not bear any good will to those at Mirkwood, he would help the Prince gather information on the army. He would do all he could to assist his new friend in succeeding in the mission given by the King of Mirkwood.  
  
During their conversation, Gimli had discovered that his new friend was very shy and innocent in personal relationships. The Dwarf noticed how Legolas had glanced at Aragorn at the recruiting table. He knew the Prince was attracted to the Man. When he tried to bring up the subject of their new Human commander, the Elf had turned bright red and refused to comment. At first, Gimli guessed that the two already had an affair and the Prince was just embarrassed to say. But when Legolas spoke of his travels to Rivendell with his two companions, the Dwarf realized that the Man and Elf had not shared an intimacy at all. The Elven Prince was just so shy that the thought of his attraction to the Man was enough to bring a blush to his cheeks. Since that moment, the Dwarf had vowed that he would protect the Elven Prince to the best of his abilities.  
  
Having traveled with the Elf for many days, Aragorn should have known how inexperienced Legolas was in the ways of Men. It only took the Dwarf two hours to figure that out! The Man should never have kissed Legolas like that, in front of an audience and for twenty minutes, no less. Being tall, dark and handsome, Aragorn should be very well versed in the art of kissing and should know the effects his kisses had on people, especially innocent Elves. Commander or not, Gimli was tempted to march over to headquarters and show the Man his skills with a war axe. A few whacks on the legs should teach Aragorn to be more considerate in his dealings with the Elf. The only thing that held the Dwarf back was his fear of being expelled from the army for taking out his aggression on the Man. He could not help and protect Legolas if he was not there with his new friend.  
  
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In the fantasy world where Legolas was trapped, the Man pulled him onto the ground and rolled him onto his back. This would not do at all. Though Aragorn was his true love, the Elf was not the type who would bed someone on the same night of their first kiss. Legolas had always thought of bedding someone as the ultimate expression of love, the sharing of intimacy that went beyond the physical plane, the touching of two souls united by mutual longing. He needed to stop the Man now before it went further.  
  
"Please, Aragorn, we must stop now," whispered the Prince.  
  
No sooner than he said the words, the scene in front of him disappeared and he found himself staring at the ceiling, lying on a pile of broken furniture. Gingerly, the Elf sat up and was immediately immobilized by a joyous hug from his roommate.  
  
"Glad you are finally back, Master Elf. I was beginning to worry that you would not return to reality in time for our first day of training," said the Dwarf gruffly as he released his friend from his strong embrace.  
  
At Gimli's comment, the Elf promptly turned bright red. Aragorn had kissed him in front of the entire army! The other Elves would probably think he was trying to make a good impression on their Human commander using his looks. The Prince knew that in order to fulfill his duties as spy, he would need to gain access to privileged information. The only way to do so would be to get elected as a squadron leader who would be included in all tactical meetings concerning the affairs of the new joint army. The selection of squadron leader was a two-step process. The commanders would select several candidates that they found capable. A democratic vote would then be carried out among the army. With this procedure, the electee would be someone who both the leadership and the common soldier could trust.  
  
If Legolas was a better fighter, he could attempt to earn his comrades respect with his physical prowess, to prove that he did not need his charms to get the Man's attention. But since the Prince's strength was in his wits, not his combat abilities, he had a feeling that the kiss had made his task of being a spy for Mirkwood much more difficult.  
  
Though he knew that Aragorn was the one true love he had been waiting for, the Elf also knew that this was his only chance to prove his worth to his family. He knew the Royal House in Mirkwood had no respect for him because he was different. His looks, his introvert nature and his lack of fighting abilities had condemned him into being no more than a shadow in his own home; one who always had to stay behind the curtains, who could never held his head high and walk into the open to fight his own battles. This was the one opportunity to change all that.  
  
Legolas could not change the past; the horrible memories of his first warrior training would forever be engraved in his mind. But he could change the future. If he succeeded in his mission, those who had looked down upon him before would see that they had erred in their judgments; that he was much more than a pretty face or a brilliant mind or a silvery tongue. They would finally see him as an Elf who was their equal and accept him into their lives. In order to achieve his goals, he must focus on becoming the best warrior he could be and earn the respect of everyone through his actions, not his words or charms. Being involved in any way with the Man would only be detrimental to his mission. For his future's sake, the Elf knew he must bury his heart. He would give up on this long awaited opportunity for true love; in return, Legolas could only hope that he had the strength to realize his dreams.  
  
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Aragorn had been staring out the window at the recruits' camp for the past hour. The twins were becoming worried. They knew that as soon as Arwen got word of the kiss, their human brother would be doomed. Since they managed to recapture the parrot, if the Man acted quickly, there might still be a chance that he would be spared. In fact, if Aragorn played his cards right, he would even gain the Evening Star's gratitude as well as forgiveness. Yet, the Man seemed not at all concerned about the consequences of his previous actions. After their return to headquarters, Aragorn had settled on a chair by the window and began watching intensely at the barracks where the golden Elf resided. So intense was the Man's expression that one would wonder if it could bare a hole through the roof using the heat from his gaze.  
  
No one had ever affected the Man so with a single kiss. Aragorn was rather experienced with the pleasures of the flesh. The Man was sought after by ladies and warriors, Elves and Humans alike. But he had never felt anything like the way he did during that kiss. The satisfaction when he claimed the Elf's rosy lips; the hunger that the simple touch aroused in him; the sweetness of Lasgalen's taste, the silkiness of that golden hair, the way the Elf's body fit so perfectly against his; all these sensations remained with him even now. The passion Lasgalen had ignited in him was fiercer and more lasting than anything he had ever experienced. Not even his wildest night of sexual adventures could compare; for the Man had always felt alone and empty after the intense heat and pleasure of the joining of two bodies had passed.  
  
Kissing the Elf was different; there was more to the act than pure physical gratification. In his innocence, Lasgalen had poured his emotions and caring into their touch; it made the Man felt warm and loved, making him wished that the contact would last forever. That was why despite his desire for the Elf he had not tried anything beyond their passionate kiss. He was content to simply stay the way they were; holding Lasgalen within his tight embrace, basking in the Elf's love without a care in the world.  
  
The Man knew he should go make amends to his Lady; but he simply could not do it. Now that he knew the power of true love's kiss, he could not bring himself to lie anymore. He did not love her, nor did he think she was the most beautiful creature on Middle Earth. He could no longer deny that he was attracted to Lasgalen or that the golden Elf was the most exquisite beauty that ever lived.  
  
However, Aragorn knew he could not act upon his feelings. He was one of the commanders of the army. Knowing that Lasgalen lacked fighting capabilities, the Man knew if he were to show any of his attraction to the Elf, the other recruits would look down upon the golden beauty. They would likely think of the Elf as his pet and target Lasgalen for their practical jokes. Aragorn knew how much being part of the army meant to the Elf. For Lasgalen's sake, he would keep their relationship formal. The memory of the kiss they shared would have to be enough for now. Aragorn would turn the shy beauty into a capable warrior; he would help Lasgalen fulfill his dreams. Because only then could he express his love for the Elf and pursue his own happiness.  
  
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When the twins realized that their human brother was not going to do anything to save himself, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Aragorn was their little brother and they felt obligated to protect him. Besides, if the Man got himself killed, they would have to do his share of training the recruits. The twins knew that was not something they would enjoy. With the parrot securely locked up in its trash-can prison, the twins carried the bird back to the palace at Rivendell to see their little sister.  
  
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"What is it?" asked an annoyed Arwen as she heard the knock on her door.  
  
She was in the middle of her daily two-hour routine of making herself look as befitting of the Evening Star of the Elves. The Lady never liked interruptions when she was dressing up for the day. Compounded with the fact that someone had kidnapped her favorite parrot, Arwen was ready to vent some of that pent-up anger on any unfortunate soul that irked her in the slight bit.  
  
She was sure that the bird had been detained against its will somewhere. It should have returned to her by now if it could. After all, the adorable little creature must be utterly enchanted by her beauty and would never leave her side on its own accord. The Lady knew it was Elrohir's presence that scared the bird into flying away the day it escaped; which was why she had punished her elder brother accordingly. After that lesson, the younger twin would have a care not to enter her rooms without permission.  
  
"It's your brothers, Arwen. Open the door. We have a surprise for you," answered Elladan.  
  
The Evening Star grudgingly moved from her vantage point in front of the mirror to open the door. "This had better be good. You know how I dislike interruptions early in the mornings."  
  
"Oh, come now little sister, even without the make-up and pretty clothes, you would still be the prettiest," lied Elrohir in an attempt to soothe his annoyed sister.  
  
"Besides, we found your wayward pet," said Elladan as he walked to the empty can and transferred the bird from the trashcan into it.  
  
"You've found him!!! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the greatest brothers anyone could have!" exclaimed Arwen as she rushed to hug both twins.  
  
"Actually, it wasn't us. It was Aragorn," replied Elrohir.  
  
"Yeah. But he knew he wasn't allowed in your rooms, so he asked us to bring the bird back to you," elaborated Elladan.  
  
"I see. I should thank Aragorn personally too then. Where did he find my poor baby? Was the little thing taken prisoner in that trashcan? Did you find who took it? I wish to have a word with that horrible creature and teach him a lesson so he would never capture little parrots for his own amusement again," asked Arwen.  
  
"Actually, it's a rather complicated story. The bird was lost and made its way to the army camp. One of the recruits was wearing green feathers in his hair," replied Elrohir.  
  
"Green feathers! Someone needs a lot of advice on fashion sense," muttered the Lady. The thought of anyone wearing green feathers in their hair was disturbing to Arwen; but one of the army recruits doing so was enough to make the Evening Star mildly ill.  
  
"Well, the parrot thought the Elf was a female bird and became attached to him instantly. Aragorn actually had to kiss the recruit to get your pet jealous just to get him off the new recruits head," finished Elladan.  
  
"Oh, my poor Aragorn. I must do something extra nice to thank him properly," exclaimed the Lady. The Man loved her enough to kiss a male Elf who wore green feathers and looked like a BIRD just to get her pet back. Aragorn must be feeling so sick right now, touching that disgusting creature. The Lady decided that she would pay a visit to her Man at the camp once she finished dressing for the day.  
  
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Thanks for all the kind reviewers who submitted reviews for the story =) I really like little parrot too.  
  
Some more responses to reviews:  
  
Rings of Saturn: The song is from Anastasia. 'A journey to the past' by Aaliyah.  
  
Sly-chan: both lost the bet. Kiss was too long. They bet on five and ten minutes.  
  
Sugar Coma and indiegirl: It's not that I don't like Arwen. It's just that I really love the "still the prettiest" thing in Cassie's Secret Diaries and think it would be funny to borrow that attitude for one of the Elves. Since I cannot make fun of Legolas (I am in love with him, after all), Arwen is the obvious candidate. She is nice and compassionate in Shadow (one of other fics).  
  
goldmund: I like saving the best for last. This story WILL end with a version of a kiss similar to the movie it was named after, but it will be a little different in context =) Besides, I am too mean to our couple in Shadow, making them wait 15 years for a single kiss, so I decide I will be nice here and not make Legolas wait as long =) 


	9. chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. Thanks to all my reviewers, I can barely believe I have more than 100 reviews already for this story. Please continue to show your support for my writing =)  
  
Tired again. Our Elf is now perfect for the first seven levels of the two towers game. Yah! Aragorn annoyed me since he failed to protect my favorite Elf; still debating whether I should do something nasty to him in the chapter.  
  
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Chapter 9:  
  
Gasps of awe arose from the camp as the Evening Star walked onto the field where the recruits were in line to receive their training weapons for the day. They would begin with sword practice in the morning. After lunch, the Elves would take a two-hour archery lesson where they shoot targets at different ranges. Finally, in the afternoon, the trainees would participate in an obstacle course where they must destroy hidden 'enemies' made from cloth and sand.  
  
Most Elves had heard rumors of Arwen's beauty. But few had the good fortune of seeing it for their own eyes. She moved with a nobility and grace surpassing all Elves upon Middle Earth. Her raven black hair was a stunning contrast to her sea-blue eyes. Adding to her delicate face and rosy soft lips was a gorgeous figure that any Men or male Elf would gladly die for. To complete the enchanting package, the Lady wore a burgundy velvet gown with gold trimmings, which accentuated her sensuous curves. Most of the recruits were thanking Elbereth for this rare treat to their eyes. The others were wondering what could bring such an exquisite creature to their lowly encampment; there were, of course, two exceptions.  
  
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"I don't know what they are gawking at. Any Dwarf lass is prettier than her. Even if we are just considering Elves, you are much prettier," said Gimli to his friend who was in line in front of him.  
  
"Please don't say that. I am a male and it's NOT a good thing to be pretty," replied Legolas.  
  
"It is if you are vying for the attention of a Man," argued the Dwarf.  
  
"I am not trying to get Aragorn's attention. I wonder why she is here. What if she got word of the kiss last night? I have heard rumors that the Evening Star could be quite violent when slighted," commented the Prince.  
  
"Don't worry, my friend. I don't think she looks angry. Besides, our commander kissed you, not the other way round. Aragorn will protect you. If he doesn't, I will," reassured Gimli.  
  
"Thanks, Master Dwarf. You are a really wonderful friend," said the Elf with a brilliant smile.  
  
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Arwen walked to join her twin brothers at their vantage point where they observed the progress of the line. She was rather annoyed to find that the Man had not yet arrived. The Lady wanted to surprise Aragorn with her little visit. She knew the Man would be ecstatic to see her; the joy of being in her company was the best way she could think of to thank Aragorn for rescuing her lost pet.  
  
Being a little curious as to which recruit the Man had to kiss to recover her parrot, Arwen asked, "Is the one Aragorn kissed last night here?"  
  
Elladan and Elrohir regarded each other nervously. Though the golden Elf was dressed very plainly in a simple brown shirt and green leggings, he remained very attractive. He was not as stunning as the night before when his long silken hair flowed freely and his golden light illuminated the small room. The twins could tell the new recruit had dressed down deliberately to hide his beauty for the day's training. But he was still pretty enough that once their sister saw him, they would all be doomed. No doubt, Arwen would come to the conclusion that the twins were lying and that Aragorn kissed the Elf out of his own desire. The poor recruit would suffer the most since he was prettier than the Evening Star.  
  
"Well?" asked the Lady again. She was getting the distinct feeling that her brothers were hiding something from her.  
  
The twins knew that if they lie, Arwen would know. The situation was indeed looking very grim for all of them, as they had no choice but to point out Lasgalen.  
  
"The one at the front of the line," answered Elladan shakily.  
  
But luck was on their side, for when the Lady moved her gaze to the front of the line, it was already Legolas' turn to get his weapons. Naturally, at the head of the queue was the one standing behind him, Gimli the Dwarf.  
  
"Oh dear. This is worse than I thought. My poor darling Aragorn! No wonder you two were hesitant to say who it was," lamented the Lady in a highly exaggerated tone.  
  
The twins had closed their eyes in anticipation of their little sister's wrath. When they re-opened them at Arwen's comment, they saw that a Dwarf had saved them all. They had always thought of Dwarves as inferior; the Elves would never imagine a day would come when they would be grateful to one. Elladan and Elrohir was so thankful for their narrow escape that they could go hug Gimli right then and there. But they knew that would be inappropriate; instead, they made mental notes to reward the Dwarf later during training session.  
  
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Aragorn returned to camp with the Guardian of Lòrien by his side. Haldir had agreed to come and help with the recruits' archery training. When the Man saw his Lady at the camp, he closed his eyes and muttered a prayer before bravely walking to face his doom. What he did not expect was for Arwen to greet him with a passionate embrace.  
  
"Oh, my poor sweetheart. Thank you so much for getting my pet back. I know the sacrifice you made for me and if you meet me tonight after training, I will make it worth your while," said the Evening Star coyly as she laid a gentle kiss upon the Man's cheek before turning to walk away.  
  
"What was that about?" asked a confused Aragorn. In return, he received a nonchalant shrug from the twins as they whistled and walked towards the recruits.  
  
The Man expected Arwen to be furious, not grateful. The twins must have done something, thinking to help him. Except that whatever they did was not helping since the Man wished to break up with their sister. Aragorn knew the golden Elf cared about him; though he could not pursue Lasgalen now, he wanted to be free to do so once the new recruit became proficient at combat. That would only be possible if the Man ended his game of courtship with the Evening Star.  
  
Though Lasgalen was not of noble birth like the Lady Arwen, he was very astute and wise. If he gained fighting skills through this training camp, the golden Elf would be a good candidate for his consort, making up for his lower social position with his abilities. Considering that Lasgalen managed to charm Halbarad within one week, the Man was sure his people would come to accept the Elf as their Prince Consort rather quickly. As for heirs, Aragorn was certain his foster father or Lady Galadriel would be able to help them.  
  
Of course, his plan all hinged on Lasgalen becoming a capable warrior who could fight by his side in the near future. Despite Aragorn's initial reluctance to be the third commander of the army, he was glad he would be able to train the golden Elf in person. Having traveled with the Elf, the Man had noticed Lasgalen's strengths and weakness. He had spent the few hours before dawn formulating a regime that would benefit the Elf the most. The Man even went to greet the Guardian from Lòrien just so he could go over his special training plan with the platinum blond Elf. Being a good friend, Haldir had agreed to help Aragorn in his endeavors.  
  
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The Lòrien archer recognized the Golden Prince from Mirkwood immediately upon walking into camp. The beautiful Elf could not hide despite his plain, non-descript clothes. As soon as Haldir received word from Luinil that the young Elf was going to be a spy for Thranduil, the Guardian of Lòrien had been trying to find a way to be involved in the Joint Army so he could be of help to the introvert Prince. He knew Legolas would require as much assistance as he could get to fulfill his first 'field assignment'. When Lord Elrond requested a master archer to help with training the new recruits, Haldir volunteered immediately.  
  
If not for Legolas' intelligence and smooth tongue, the platinum blond would have been exiled from the Golden Woods for helping a wounded Elf. The Guardian did not realize the injured female was a fugitive from their lands, having bathed in the fountain where the water for Galadriel's mirror was drawn. By law, the fair-haired Elf should receive the same punishment as the one he assisted, expulsion from Lòrien.  
  
Luckily for Haldir, the youngest Prince of Mirkwood was visiting the Lord and Lady of the Woods. Somehow, with his interesting logic, Legolas managed to convince Lady Galadriel that the Guardian was merely performing his duties and arresting the fugitive for proper sentencing. Instead of being exiled, Haldir was promoted to be the head of security in Lòrien. Ever since that day, the fair Elf had been looking for the opportunity to repay the Prince.  
  
When Aragorn asked for his help in a special training designed by the golden Prince, Haldir was more than happy to oblige. He knew Legolas would not fare well if he just received training among the masses of other recruits, who already knew the basics of combat. The Guardian, however, was surprised that the Man had suggested such a thing. He thought Aragorn was courting the Evening Star; but from the Man's tone when he spoke of Legolas, Isildur's heir seemed enamored with the golden Elf.  
  
The Lòrien archer wondered if the Prince returned the Man's feelings. If he did, it would be great news indeed. Legolas was far too old to be THAT innocent. Haldir wished for the younger Elf's happiness with his whole heart; the Prince was too wonderful a person to wallow in loneliness. He vowed that he would not only assist Legolas in fulfilling his mission, but also help the Elf find love in the form of Aragorn.  
  
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It was quickly becoming clear that both Legolas and Gimli needed new sparring partners. Because of the height difference, the Elf was having trouble blocking the Dwarf's training sword, which kept hitting him in the shin. Though Gimli was holding back, getting repeatedly hammered by a blunt piece of steel was enough to cause a lot of bruises and an equal amount of pain.  
  
"Ai," cried the Elf in pain.  
  
"Sorry," replied the Dwarf for the thirtieth time of the day.  
  
"If this goes on any longer, I will not be able to stand," complained the Prince.  
  
"Let me be your sparring partner," offered the Man who could no longer bear watching the Elf he liked get clobbered by Gimli.  
  
Legolas blushed and nodded. Soon, the Man was practicing with the Elf and Haldir had taken the Prince's place with the Dwarf. The golden Elf was slightly apprehensive when he saw the Guardian of Lòrien. He knew the archer would recognize him; but when Haldir winked and smiled mischievously at him, he knew the older Elf was here to help and would not betray his secrets.  
  
"There are a few basic strikes in sword-play. Let us start with the upper- hand cuts. There are three possible variants, one from the left, one from the right and one directly overhead, like this. Now, you try," instructed Aragorn.  
  
The Elf did as he was told, while observing the defensive stance assumed by the Man. "One, two, three. Good. Now try again, but move your feet with each strike. When you strike left, move your right foot forward; that way you are more balanced and will not fall over from the force of the swing.."  
  
They practiced those strikes for a few more times before Aragorn said, "Good, now you learn now to defend against those attacks.."  
  
"Don't tell me. Let me try," said the Elf with a smile.  
  
The Man was a bit reluctant as he did not wish to hurt Lasgalen. But seeing the determination in the Elf's eyes, Aragorn decided to give his student a chance. "Okay, here I come. Left, right, center.."  
  
The Man was pleasantly surprised when Lasgalen blocked all his strikes perfectly. The Elf was a very fast learner. Through observation alone, he had learnt the defensive maneuvers and was executing them with precise timing. Aragorn wondered how a gifted Elf like this could be so ill- trained in the arts of war.  
  
"That was very good. Let us practice that some more before we move on to the next set of basic moves," encouraged the Man.  
  
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Legolas could not believe he was actually doing well in swordsmanship. He remembered how those lessons always turned into a beating session from his classmates during his first experience with warrior training. Despite the progress he was making, he wished that Aragorn had not singled him out for private instructions like that. It would only confirm everyone's beliefs that he was their Human commander's pet. He hated to think what would happen during lunch hour when Aragorn was no longer with him. He was certain his fellow trainees were thinking of what pranks to play on him already.  
  
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At the end of the session, Lasgalen was proficient in all nine basic strikes and defensive stances of swordplay. Aragorn was amazed at the Elf's progress. In one morning, his student had mastered what took Aragorn two full weeks of practice when the Man first started. Learning how to swing the sword was easy, but the timing of the footwork with the strike of the weapon was difficult to grasp. Through observation, the Elf had mimicked the Man's motions perfectly; giving Lasgalen's attacks the superb rhythm of those executed by a master swordsman. At this rate, within two weeks, the golden one's skills with the sword would surpass all the other recruits.  
  
Aragorn realized also that swords were not best suited for the Elf's slight frame. Knives, much like the ones Haldir used, would be preferable. When Lasgalen was finished with his sword training, the Man would ask the archer to teach his student knife-fighting techniques. If the young Elf were as gifted with knives as he was with swords, Lasgalen would be an excellent fighter in no time. With a satisfied smile, Aragorn left the training field as the recruits broke for lunch. He might not have to wait long for his chance with Lasgalen after all.  
  
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The Man entered the headquarters lunch area to find his foster brothers waiting for him. They wore identical puzzled expression as they watched him take his seat at the table. Apparently, Haldir had been 'volunteered' to get their food from the kitchens at Rivendell palace.  
  
"What do you think you are doing? Do you WANT to DIE, Aragorn?" asked Elrohir in his most dramatic voice.  
  
"We wrecked our brains and risks ours lives to save you from our sister's rage. And you repay us by giving that new recruit private lessons," accused Elladan.  
  
"You know I don't really love Arwen. I am courting her only because she is a challenge and she will make a great queen. But I realize I don't want to be with her anymore. In fact, I am going to break up with her tonight," replied the Man.  
  
"Are you crazy? You are going to get us all killed, including that Elf you fancied," retorted the younger twin.  
  
"It is not like she is really cares about me either. She is in love with the idea that I am in love with her, since I am sought by lots of Elves and Humans. I am like a trophy to her, like she is a prize to me," reasoned Aragorn.  
  
"That is not going to matter. You cannot possibly dump Arwen and expect to survive. No one ever had," said the older twin.  
  
"Yeah, but no one ever tried. The Evening Star always broke up with her lovers when she tired of them. It's just that I am the first one to actively want to end a relationship with her," said the Man.  
  
"Come on, think about this more carefully. Whether you admit it or not, you are risking your life over this. Is that Elf really worth it?" cautioned Elrohir.  
  
At the prompt, Aragorn immediately turned dreamy-eyed as he listed off the Elf's good qualities. "Of course, Lasgalen is smart, beautiful, kind, innocent, understanding, sweet, open-minded, sympathetic, caring, sensitive, observant, a wonderful cook, an amazingly fast learner.. did I mention intelligent, already. To sum it all up, I guess I would just have to say he is perfect," finished the Man with a smile.  
  
"In other words, too perfect. No one is ever that good, little brother. Take it from someone who has lived millennia longer than you. The Elf must be hiding something," commented Elladan.  
  
"I bet that it is all an act to get your attention. He probably wants something from you and is using your romantic delusions to get it. If you don't be careful, the Elf will rip your heart out and throw it back at you in the blink of an eye," elaborated Elrohir.  
  
Hand tight upon Anduril's hilt, Aragorn stood to face his brothers. "Do not ever insult Lasgalen again. I will not guarantee what I will do, even if you are my brothers," hissed the furious Man.  
  
The twins decided that Aragorn in a rage was every bit as scary as their little sister in Arwen the destroyer mode. It was time to placate their foster brother while buying themselves some time to defuse the situation between the Man and the Evening Star.  
  
"Sorry we spoke without proof. But give us two weeks to investigate the golden Elf. If we cannot find anything suspicious on him after that, we will not complain of your decision to break up with our sister. We will even help you protect your new lover from her wrath. We just don't want to see you act rashly and get hurt, Aragorn. You are our only little foster brother," pleaded the older twin.  
  
The Man was still angry with the Elves, but he did not see any harm in waiting two more weeks. Especially since Lasgalen would need at least until then to become a warrior worthy of the Man's attention. Besides, it would be nice to have the twins back his decision to end the relationship with Arwen. Though Aragorn was sure he could protect himself, it would be valuable to have someone in the House of Elrond on Lasgalen's side. After all, they would need his foster father's approval for their binding and the Elven Lord's help in the matters of getting heirs. "Very well, you have two weeks. Unless you can convince me otherwise, I am breaking up with Arwen."  
  
  
  
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Sorry, chapter not very funny. I ended up not doing anything bad to Aragorn. It just doesn't feel quite right to do it here... archery practice, now that's a different story..(evil grin) 


	10. chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please, please, please, please review. Sorry, a bit high on ether. Some idiot used my speed-vac to dry their samples in ether solvent without telling me, so I got a significant overdose of sniff stuff when I was cleaning out the trap in lab... okay, that has absolutely nothing to do with our Elfy. Sorry..  
  
Song = If I never knew you from Pocahontas. I took only the verses I want =)  
  
Took a line out of Never been Kissed too =) Chapter not really funny. In an extremely strange frame of mind right now, both light-headed and hyper at the same time. Occupational hazard of working in a lab with many organic chemicals....  
  
... = thoughts or my babbling.  
  
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Chapter 10:  
  
Legolas was surprised when his fellow students seemed to welcome him into their midst during lunch hour. His friend, Gimli, had returned to their room to change out of his armor for the afternoon's archery practice. Earlier during the swords training with Haldir, the Guardian told the Dwarf that he would not have the flexibility to draw a bow correctly in his heavy armor. The Elf had gained Gimli's respect during their practice session and the Dwarf decided he would heed the archer's advice in the matter. Upon repeated reassurances from the Elven Prince stating he would be alright on his own during lunch, Gimli reluctantly left his new friend and headed back to their room.  
  
Though Haldir was a good swordsman, it was not his fighting abilities that gained Gimli's friendship; it was the fact that they had a common goal. Both the Dwarf and Guardian of Lòrien wanted to help Legolas with his mission. They were also united in their goal to assist the Prince in finding joy in his personal life. After trading information, the two decided that Aragorn was the best prospective match for the golden Elf. They were certain that the Man and the Prince were completely infatuated with the other, though both parties were trying to hide their feelings at the moment. United by their wish to see the Prince happy, Gimli and Haldir formed an unlikely alliance in their matchmaking attempt.  
  
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"Come, sit with us, Lasgalen," said a particularly handsome Elf. He wore a simple grey shirt and black leggings that hugged his lean but well-muscled form sensuously. The dark colors complemented the Elf's russet brown hair, which was held back in warrior braids. His high cheekbones and strong square jaw spoke eloquently of his strength and masculinity; his expression softened as his well-formed lips curved into a charming smile. But it was his eyes that captured Legolas' attention. They were in the most amazing shade of emerald the Prince had ever seen.  
  
Legolas had met good-looking Elves before, but when this one smiled at him, the golden Elf found himself blushing shyly. He could hardly believe a fellow trainee, other than Gimli, would want to sit with him. With a small nod, the Prince walked to join the handsome dark-haired Elf and his group at the table.  
  
"I am Yulion. These are my friends, Aldarion and Calimehtar," introduced the dark-haired Elf.  
  
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," replied the Prince with his most charming smile.  
  
"The pleasure is all ours," said Yulion with a small bow.  
  
This idiot is more gullible than I thought. secretly thought the dark- haired Elf. He noticed how their human commander favored Lasgalen. Being an arrogant being raised to believe himself superior, Yulion thought it an insult to be placed under the command of a Man. The Elf could not strike directly at the filthy human because of Aragorn's rank, but he could make the Man's pet's life miserable. Seeing how shy and pretty Lasgalen was, Yulion immediately marked the other Elf as a ditsy blond, all looks and no brains. His only worry was the mean looking Dwarf who hovered by the fair- haired Elf's side. Despite his low opinion of Dwarves, Yulion knew this particular one was not one to be trifled with. When the dark-haired Elf saw Gimli left his roommate's side, he knew his chance had come. But he did not expect things to be THIS easy!  
  
"I was looking for you in line earlier, but I couldn't find you. You haven't got your food yet, have you?" inquired the dark-haired Elf.  
  
"No, I was talking to Gimli. He was really worried about leaving me alone. I hope there is food left," replied the Prince as he stood up to leave so he could get in line.  
  
"There is no need for that. I got some for you since I figured you might be late," said Yulion with his most brilliant smile as he produced a plate of what appeared to be herb-baked chicken. Well, it was difficult to tell what the meat was since it was completely covered with bits of green-leafy- herb-like substance..  
  
"Why, thank you," said Legolas as he picked up a piece and placed it into his mouth. It was the strangest tasting dish the Prince had ever tried. Being rather skilled in the culinary arts, Legolas was surprised that the herb was unlike anything he had ever used in his own cooking. It had a rather bitter taste at first bite; even after swallowing, it left a strange pungent odor in his mouth. To tell the truth, the golden Elf wanted to spit out the mouthful of meat; but being the well-mannered Prince that he was, Legolas had no choice but to eat it.  
  
"Do you like it? I had to beg the cook to give me one more portion just for you," asked Yulion.  
  
Being the diplomat that he was, the Elf nodded as he took a long sip of water in hopes of washing away the horrible flavor of the so-called food in his mouth. Legolas knew there was no getting out of this one. If he wanted to make friends with Yulion and his gang, he would have to eat the whole thing. The Prince's astute observation told him that the dark-haired Elf was extremely popular among the new recruits. If he could gain Yulion's approval and friendship, it would be a big step towards the success of his mission. And Legolas would do whatever it took to fulfill his duties to Mirkwood, even finishing that disgusting dish in front of him. Forcing a smile, the Prince continued to work on his food.  
  
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Legolas was saved by the bell that signified the beginning of their archery lessons. If he had to eat one more bite of that herb-baked chicken, the Elf would definitely emptied the contents of his stomach onto Yulion.  
  
As the dark-haired Elf hurried away for class with the other new recruits, the Prince discovered that he was having difficulty standing. The floor would not stop spinning; it was giving Legolas a mild headache. The golden Elf put a hand on the table in an attempt to stabilize himself, but missed, causing him to completely lose his balance and fell onto the ground. Legolas knew he should be ashamed of his clumsiness but for some strange reason, the situation seemed immensely funny to the fallen Prince. Almost unconsciously, the Elf began to laugh. Peals of melodic laughter reverberated in the dining halls as Legolas rolled on the floor, laughing so hard that he was holding his side and tears were beginning to form.  
  
It was in this state of uncontrollable mirth that Gimli found his friend. Immediately, the Dwarf knew something must be wrong. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing, I met some really nice Elves at lunch. They let me sit with them and got me food," replied the Prince between fits of laughter.  
  
"What did they feed you?" asked the Dwarf.  
  
"The foulest tasting herb-baked chicken on Middle Earth. But that's not their fault. People in Rivendell should really consider firing their cook," replied Legolas as he sat up. The Elf was finally able to gain control of his emotions and was perplexed by the sudden mirth that assaulted him earlier.  
  
"Well, we will talk about this later. We are going to be late for archery practice. Can you walk?" said Gimli.  
  
"Yeah," replied the Elf as he attempted to stand. However, he was immediately overcome by light-headedness that caused his knees to give way, sending him back onto the floor with a thud.  
  
"Ouch," exclaimed the Prince.  
  
"This is not good. You wait here. I will go tell Aragorn and Haldir," said the Dwarf.  
  
"No, please. I can do this. Just give me a moment," pleaded Legolas. He did not want to miss his first day of archery practice, especially since he actually was making progress in the morning's swordsmanship lessons. Gathering all his strength, the Elf managed to propel himself back onto his feet without assistance. His joy, however, was short-lived as he noticed the ground was still spinning. Determined to participate in their afternoon training session, Legolas began to walk okay, it's more like stumble out of the lunchroom and into the archery field.  
  
Watching his friend zigzag his way through the dining area, Gimli knew the Elf would be in big trouble at their lesson. The Dwarf knew Legolas had been drugged, but with his limited knowledge could not figure out what his friend had ingested. He only hoped it was not something poisonous or overly harmful. He could hardly wait for his roommate to point out who these 'new friends' of theirs were. He wanted very much to introduce them to a friend of his, his trusty axe.  
  
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Legolas was not doing well in archery practice. There were way too many targets in front of him. Not to mention he all of a sudden seemed to have grown three extra of arms. He tried to take aim at his target, but he couldn't tell which bow arm in front of him was his. For the past ten minutes, the Elf had been releasing one arrow after another, none of which had hit his own target. It was a good thing that the targets were placed in front of a sturdy wall, which took the brunt of Legolas' assault. If not, the high-flying shafts would have hit many innocent passer-bys walking behind the archery field. Okay, if they were walking BEHIND a target, maybe they deserved to be shot... The Prince did, however, managed to hit the mark next to his four times and the one furthest from him twice. It was not too bad for a first try. Maybe not the first try, but it was the first time Legolas had held a bow since his warrior training when he was still a chubby little cherub..  
  
Aragorn and Haldir walked into the scene of the golden Elf swaying back and forth slightly as he prepared for his shot. Both immediately knew something was wrong. The Man called to Lasgalen to get his attention. What he did not expect was the Elf to turn towards him with his bow still drawn. Everyone within range had the foresight to duck; but being a Man, Aragorn's reflexes were not as quick as the other Elves. Gimli was behind Legolas, so he didn't feel necessary to duck. Besides, even if he didn't move, the Dwarf would still be too short for the Elf's arrow to hit him. When the Prince saw that it was his beloved who said his name, Legolas let go of his bowstring to raise his right arm to wave. Unintentionally, for the first time in the lesson, the Prince hit the thing that he was pointing his arrow at; except that it was not a target.. Yup, it's Aragorn!  
  
It was a good thing that the drug had decreased the Elf's strength to a point where his arrow, even at close range, did not cause too much damage. It was only shallowly embedded in Aragorn's shoulder. Now that the threat was over, the twins stood and inspected his foster brother. The Man was still in shock, and would not respond to any of their calling or poking. Elladan proceeded to stalk towards the Prince and yanked the bow out of his hands.  
  
"You are a disgrace to our Race. Are you retarded or something? Even an Orc would know not to point a notched arrow at an ally!" exclaimed the elder twin.  
  
"You have assaulted a commander of the army. Go and pack your things. I want you gone from the camp by the end of the day," continued Elrohir.  
  
The Elf in question was too stoned to understand the gravity of the situation. He ignored his two Elven commanders and headed straight for the Man he loved.  
  
"Get back here.." yelled Elladan.  
  
Haldir interrupted the dark-haired Elf before he could finish his admonishment. "Can't you see that there is something wrong with him? Gimli, what happened?"  
  
"I left him alone for lunch. Some new recruits pretended to befriend him and fed him some 'herb-baked chicken'. He had been like that ever since," replied the Dwarf.  
  
Things began to make sense to the Guardian of Lòrien. The Prince had been drugged. Given Gimli's description and Legolas' condition, it was likely that someone gave the Elf a heavy dose of pipe-weed to eat. The smoke itself could easily intoxicate an Elf; Haldir hated to think what ingesting it in large quantities would do. He was surprised the Prince was still standing and somewhat functional. The archer knew he must tell Aragorn; maybe the Ranger could help Legolas.  
  
"It's clear that Lasgalen had been drugged. It was not his fault that he shot Aragorn. It was just an accident. Besides, it should be up to the Man to decide this recruit's punishment. After all, he was the one who was hit," reasoned Haldir.  
  
The twins wanted to get rid of the golden Elf to keep themselves save from their sister's wrath. But they also knew how terrifying their little brother could be. It was best to back off and let the Man handle this. "Very well. What do you say, Estel?"  
  
As they collectively turned to the Man, they were greeted by a very strange sight. The golden Elf was grinning while his brow furrowed with puzzlement; reaching up gingerly, he touched the arrow that was sticking out of the Man's shoulder. "Why do you have an arrow in you? Doesn't that hurt?"  
  
Aragorn knew that his student had been drugged with pipe-weed. He had seen these symptoms before. When the Man found out who did this to his golden Elf, he would make them pay very dearly for the wound in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the arrow out of his injured body and threw it onto the ground. At that very moment, Lasgalen lost his balance again and stumbled into the Man. With his good arm, Aragorn steadied the Elf in his embrace and whispered, "I think you have enough practice for the day, little one. Let me carry you back to your room."  
  
Legolas' smile widened as he nodded. He had never been carried by anyone before since he was a child. But that was different. The prospect of being in the Man's arms filled his befuddled mind with song. The Prince lifted his voice and began to sing of his affections for Aragorn in front of the entire camp.  
  
// If I never knew you, if I never knew this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life can be. //  
  
// If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real. Never knowing I could feel, a love so strong and true. //  
  
// I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through, empty as the sky, never knowing why, lost forever, if I never knew you. //  
  
The touched but more than a bit embarrassed Man scooped Lasgalen into his strong arms and began to head back to the barracks. He had never been sung to before; least say by an exquisite Elf with the voice of an angel. Aragorn was usually the one composing songs to praise another's beauty and none of those sounded as heart-felt as the one the golden Elf had sung just now. Despite being extremely moved by Lasgalen's affections, Aragorn wished he had not announced his attraction with the entire army as audience. The Man would rather Arwen not find out about this until he made all the necessary preparations to break up with the Evening Star.  
  
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Aragorn laid the Elf down gently on his bed. He attempted to rise to go to his medicinal chest to get some athelas to counteract the effects of the pipe-weed. However, he was stopped when Lasgalen gripped his arm very, very tightly to hold him there, sitting on the side of the bed. The Man would have done something inappropriate, like kissing the drugged Elf, if Haldir and Gimli had not rushed into the room shortly after.  
  
"You two, go get some athelas leaves. Boil three of them in water and bring the brew," said the Man.  
  
Eyeing each other, and then Aragorn, suspiciously, the two stood at the doorway, reluctantly to leave their intoxicated friend with the Man alone. "What are you two waiting for? Go, NOW!" roared Aragorn.  
  
Startled, Haldir and Gimli rushed out to get the requested items with the speed of jack rabbits fleeing from a fearsome predator. Better yet, a gazelle being chased by cheetahs. That didn't really adequately describe their quickness, but I don't remember cheetahs, the fastest land animal ever, running from anything that was about to eat them.. But anyway, it sufficed to say they left the Man and Elf alone as fast as their legs could carry them. And might I add it was rather amazing to see a Dwarf move so swiftly. If not for the height, one might mistake Gimli for an Elf from his quickness of feet.   
  
The Man stared after his fleeing companions for a while, before turning his attention to the golden Elf. Lasgalen was smiling at the Man sweetly as he blinked his tired, dry eyes. To Aragorn, the simple movement was suggestive beyond description as those long, golden lashes fluttered over the Elf's stunning sapphire eyes. Looking at the beauty before him, the Man could not understand how a creature could be so innocent yet so sensual at the same time.  
  
The Man opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a slender finger placed gently upon his lips. Under the influence of the weed, Legolas lost his usual shyness and the inhibition he careful built around his heart. The urge to reveal his feelings to his beloved was just too great to deny. "You know, Adele penguins.."  
  
"Penguins?" questioned the Man. He had never heard of that creature before. Truth be told, I am not even sure if they exist on Middle Earth. But please bear with me, and assume that some do live by the sea. No, Legolas had not seen one either, he read about them in a book on nature.   
  
"Yes, penguins," replied the Prince with a smile. "They pick one mate. They spend their whole lives looking for that one other penguin and when they find them, they know. That's the penguin they stay with for the rest of their lives."  
  
Perplexed, Aragorn merely nodded to indulge the incoherent Elf as Legolas continued, "And when you kissed me last night, I know. You are my penguin."  
  
Now, the Man was really lost. He could not help commenting, "But I am not a penguin."  
  
Before anything more could be said, Haldir and Gimli returned with the athelas brew. Obediently, the Elf drank the medicine his beloved offered and fell into a deep slumber with a genuine, most adorable grin on his face, leaving the Man to his pondering..... what exactly was a penguin?! 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review =)  
  
A very special Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last posting. I did not expect so much support from my readers. Your encouraging words really mean a lot to me. I will try not to disappoint the people who like my stories =)  
  
I know I just said this, but thanks again : Nimuea, KarateElf, Mannariel, Orlandoinabedsheet, Nina, Elhwesta, addicted, Lou, Gertie, Tam BreoSaight, breakfast_included and ( .  
  
Inspiration of Milo is from the Mask. Lots of 'still the prettiest' references, just because I feel like it. Parrot makes a cameo appearance.  
  
Long chapter since I combined two chapters into one. The original first chapter didn't really have anything funny in it, so I decided to extend the thing into the next bit. Hopefully, this is a little better =)  
  
... = thoughts or my ramblings. There are a lot more that here in this chapter. I apologize if people find it distracting to the plot. I just feel like commentating a lot today after watching the cast commentary on the extended FOTR DVD =)  
  
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Chapter 11:  
  
Legolas woke up with the same adorable smile still plastered to his face, despite his immense headache. The Elf wondered why he was so amused given the pain he was in. He tried to remember what had come to past the day before, but could only recall hazy images after eating that herb-baked chicken. Perplexed by the gap in his memory, Legolas opened the blinds to his room and was dismayed to find it was already morning.  
  
He looked around for his roommate but discovered that Gimli had left for their morning classes. The Dwarf had left him a brief note asking him to stay in bed and rest today; saying their commanders were aware of his condition and would not begrudge his missing practice. However, the Prince had no intention of heeding his friend's advice. He was here to train for war and be a proper spy for Mirkwood, which he could not do by hiding in his rooms. Legolas was not going to let a headache stop him.  
  
Jumping out of bed, the Elf rushed to the training field. He still wore the same non-descript brown shirt and green leggings he did the day before and found it very puzzling that everyone was staring at him, sniggering and whispering to each other. Even with his keen senses, Legolas could not make out what they were saying; but he had a very bad feeling about this. The Prince noted that Aragorn was missing and was slightly disappointed that the Man would not be teaching him swordsmanship today.  
  
As the Prince walked across the field towards his two Elven commanders, Yulion put on his most girly voice in a mock declaration of love, "Oh, Aragorn. Hold me. I love you so much."  
  
Much to Legolas' chagrin, that elicited a collective laugh from the recruits as they began to sing. // If I never knew you...//  
  
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All came back to the golden Elf in crystal clarity, shooting Aragorn by accident, singing of his love for the Man and telling his human commander that he was his PENGUIN. Of all metaphors to use, PENGUINS!! His first instinct was to bolt and find a hiding place as far away from the camp as possible. But Legolas had been through worse humiliation during his first warrior training experience. He was determined not to let this little incident hamper the progress of his mission. Besides, one of the important qualities of being a diplomat was humility and the ability to handle insults from your hosts without losing composure. He knew the recruits wanted to see him cry and flee; he would not give them that. Head held high, face set in an expressionless mask, Legolas marched towards his two Elven commanders.  
  
"I am sorry I am late, sir. If possible, I would like to join the lesson," said the Prince calmly.  
  
The twins did not expect the golden Elf to come for practice today. They were sure that even if he were not indisposed from the aftermath of pipe weed poisoning, the young blond would not dare show his face again after the embarrassing display in front of the entire camp. Given the introvert nature of the trainee, Lasgalen's composure as the Elf ignored the army's jeers and spoke with quiet authority was a real surprise to Elladan and Elrohir.  
  
The twins could feel the subtle push in the humble request, a sincere apology followed by a well-disguised demand. It did not make sense that a common Elf like Lasgalen could speak in that fashion. Only the best trained of noble Elves were so self-effacing and assertive at the same time. In fact, the twins were sure that except for their father and Lady Galadriel, none could have acted with the same poise the young recruit did just now. Well, that's not much of a comparison since if it were the ancient Elves, they would just scowl and everyone would immediately shy away in fear. Since it did not take composure to scowl, Legolas would still be better.... but don't take my word for it. After all, I am very biased.   
  
If the twins were not convinced before that Lasgalen was hiding something, they were now. They wondered who the young Elf really was. Someone with that sort of verbal talent and intellect did not usually join armies to be a lowly recruit. The Elven commanders knew it would not be easy discovering the young one's secrets. They were not dealing with a simple brainless blond, but someone of a caliber close to their father. But for their lives and their foster brother's as well, they vowed to solve the mystery surrounding this intriguing golden Elf.  
  
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Haldir quickly volunteered to be the Prince's training partner. Aragorn's shoulder wound might not be deep, but it was enough to hinder his movements. The Man wanted to continue lessons with Lasgalen; the archer had to practically restraint Aragorn to keep him from the field and injuring himself further. The Guardian of Lòrien knew the Man wished to teach the golden Elf how basic moves could be used together in combination during combat. But the older Elf knew something about Legolas that Aragorn did not. The Prince was very gifted in analyzing combination of movements, breaking them down into simple individual components that could be perfected rather easily.  
  
The archer still remembered when the maidens of Lòrien taught Legolas a very complicated traditional dance that represented eternal love. It only took the Prince two days to perfect the routine. In fact, the golden Elf was so good that he was elected to give the headlining performance at the feast in honor of the 6000th wedding anniversary of the Lord and Lady of the Woods. The celebration was held every 1000 years. Only very few people outside of Lothlòrien were invited. For Legolas, it was a great honor just to be invited, let alone perform for the ancient couple. The young Elf's rendition of the dance was so moving that Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel fell under his spell; pledging to the Prince the protection and support of Lothlòrien should he ever required it.  
  
Haldir knew the young Elf would benefit the most from training if Legolas were to observe a skilled swordsman before practice. The Prince's ability to learn through observation was extremely remarkable. The Guardian of Lòrien scanned around for a suitable model for Legolas to imitate and settled for a rather dashing dark-haired Elf. The recruit was very skilled with a sword. With a little more polishing, he would probably hold his own against one of the twins. He would make a good example for his young friend to follow. If only the Elven archer could arrange for Elladan and Aragorn to spar for the Prince; that would be an excellent lesson indeed, but Haldir knew he must not be too greedy. This dark-haired recruit would have to do.  
  
"Watch that dark-haired one and his sparring partner carefully. I want you to learn from his techniques," whispered Haldir.  
  
"His name is Yulion. He's the one who gave me that herb-baked chicken," replied the Prince, with an uncharacteristic amount of spite.  
  
"I see. I know this is hard for you, but he is the best on the field right now. It is in your best interest to learn from him what you can today. I will see what I can arrange for tomorrow," said the archer.  
  
It was the first time the Lòrien Elf heard anger in the Prince's lilting voice. Haldir wondered what Legolas would do. The young one was a gentle, sweet Elf by nature. He did not have a destroyer mode like the Lady of Rivendell. But the annoyance in Legolas' remark told the Guardian that the golden Elf was peeved, likely for the first time in his life. The archer hoped the Prince would not attempt revenge. Given the circumstances, any plan to get back at Yulion would only result in disaster for his friend. The dark-haired Elf was simply too skilled and popular for Legolas to take on. Rumors had it that Yulion was from a very influential family in Rivendell; that he was set to be one of the captains of the joint army through his father's connections. Being a spy from Mirkwood, the Prince would do well not to interact at all with the dark-haired Elf.  
  
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In Legolas' quick mind, he already had a plan to get even with Yulion without further hindering his mission. Even the most forgiving of Elves would be annoyed if he was lied to, drugged and humiliated with the whole camp as audience. The Prince would not allow the dark-haired Elf to go unpunished for the trick he played. Intently, Legolas watched the swordplay before him, memorizing every one of Yulion's moves.  
  
At the end of each week, a friendly tournament of skills would be held for the recruits. Scores from these exercises would be kept throughout their training period. At the end, the commanders would use these as references in judging the competence of each recruit in combat. Those who finished with a high number of wins would be more likely to be nominated for the squadron leader positions. This Friday's tournament would be his chance; for the first time in his life, Legolas would avenge himself for a wrong did to him. He would show everyone that he could take care of his own problems; that he would not have to rely on someone to protect or help him all the time.  
  
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Legolas spent the last hour of sword practice sparring with Haldir. The archer thought it would be helpful for the Prince to practice the moves he observed from Yulion. He was very surprised to find himself evenly matched by his young friend. The golden Elf integrated Yulion's techniques with Aragorn's superb timing; making them more effective than the dark-haired one's. Legolas had even made some modifications to better suit his own strengths and weaknesses.  
  
Haldir had thought the Prince gifted before, but even he could not imagine the extent of the young one's talents. In the end, having decided that it was inappropriate for an instructor to lose to a recruit, the Guardian of Lòrien won the match with a technique adopted from his knives-fighting style. When Haldir noticed the mischievous smile on the face of the young Elf sitting on the ground, he knew Legolas was planning something.  
  
"You may be improving at an amazing pace, but don't let it get to your head. And do not, I repeat, do NOT try to get back at Yulion. He is still a better swordsman than you," warned Haldir.  
  
"Don't worry, my friend. I won't try anything out of the ordinary," reassured the Prince, still grinning.  
  
The archer knew his friend well enough not to be reassured. He was sure that in Legolas' mind, there were many 'ordinary' things that the Prince could do to Yulion that the dark-haired Elf would not appreciate. "Please..."  
  
"Trust me. I really am not going to do anything outside of what our training mandates," said the young Elf before heading towards Gimli to join the Dwarf for lunch.  
  
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Arwen was not having a good day. In fact, she had a bad day yesterday as well. It all started with her darling pet's return. The parrot had been refusing to respond to her ever since it was brought back. She wondered if her brothers had mistreated the poor baby; but since they knew how much she loved the bird, Arwen was pretty sure they would be very careful in handing it. This was all the Dwarf's fault. If he had not worn those disgusting feathers, Estel would not have thought he was a female bird and became love- sick. Yeah, Arwen decided to name the parrot 'Estel' in honor of Aragorn who recaptured her pet after its escape. Besides, she liked the idea of having something by the Man's name calling her 'the fairest of them all' multiple times a day.   
  
Speaking of the Man, Aragorn did not come to meet her after the first day of training. It irked the Lady to no end since no one had ever failed to show for a romantic rendezvous with her. She wondered if the Man was seeing another behind her back. She dismissed that thought almost as soon as it crossed her mind. Aragorn could not possibly prefer anyone over her. She was one of the most beautiful Elven maidens who ever lived. Given that Elves were fairer than Humans, Arwen was sure she was the most gorgeous creature who walked Middle Earth at this point in time.  
  
The Man should be honored to have her as lover; he must be so intoxicated with her that he would never think of being with anyone else. That was how things were with all her previous lovers. They would beg her endlessly to take them back after she got bored and dumped them. Thus, Arwen concluded that this must be the Dwarf's fault as well. Aragorn must have been so disgusted that the very thought of kissing anyone, even the most beautiful Elf in the world, disturbed the Man. After smiling murderously into the mirror, the Lady left her room with Estel in tow and set out for the camp. The trouble-making new recruit would pay for ruining her past two days.  
  
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Aragorn was glad that his archer friend had made him stay in his rooms to rest for he was having a very good dream. Actually, that's not quite accurate. Since the Man was asleep and could not really feel glad. But he would be if he were awake and having a daydream..... anyway....  
  
The Man stood alone on a small bridge overlooking the waterfalls of Rivendell. The sun was setting; its rays creating shafts of lights and small rainbows in the mist. The colorful sky was painted in hues of red, purple and gold. Set to the humming of the water, it was one of the most beautiful sunsets Aragorn had ever seen. Gentle arms encircled his waist suddenly as a faint but familiar honeysuckle fragrance greeted his nose. He knew without turning that it was Lasgalen behind him. The golden Elf had come to share with him this masterpiece of beauty nature had revealed to them. They stood in silence, reveling in the tranquility and magic of the moment.  
  
Lasgalen's lithe body felt so perfect against him as the Elf's soft breath tantalized the sensitive skin of his neck. He could feel himself reacting to the golden one's closeness. Aragorn had never been so aroused by a simple embrace. It was taking every bit of the Man's self control to stay still. For long minutes, his mind warred between the need to turn to claim Lasgalen's delectable lips and the desire to keep the blissful stillness that they shared. But before a decision was made, the Elf began licking his ear rather forcefully. Confusion gripped the Man's mind as he abruptly exited the romantic world of dreams. He awoke to find Elladan's dog on his bed, lapping his ear enthusiastically.  
  
"Milo!! How many times do I have to tell you not to jump onto my bed?" yelled the frustrated Man.  
  
Aragorn did not understand how the dog had entered his room; he was sure Haldir had closed the door before leaving. But this particular canine seemed to have the knack for breaking and entering. On more than one occasion, the dog had managed to sneak into Aragorn's bed unnoticed, startling the Man out of whatever activities he was engaging in. It was not so bad when he was sleeping alone; but when he had company, one could imagine the panic it caused to his bed-partner.  
  
He had told the older twin many times to keep Milo away from his bed, under lock and key if necessary. To his chagrin, the situation had not improved; Milo was always there to interrupt him when he was enjoying his bedtime. The blasted dog never appeared when he was having a nightmare or when he was only pretending to enjoy himself. It was almost as if Milo was psychic and knew when was the most inopportune time to barge in.  
  
Since the Man was already awake, he decided to join his brothers for lunch. Besides, he had something he needed to say to Elladan. Aragorn felt it necessary to make a rather lasting impression on the older twin of the wisdom of keeping control over his pet. He was sure that even with his injured shoulder, he could give Elladan a lesson the Elf was unlikely to forget. Having changed into his usual black traveling garb, Aragorn headed for camp with Anduril by his side, smiling menacingly the entire way.  
  
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By some twisted joke of fate, the army cook prepared herb-baked chicken for lunch today. Legolas stared at his plate for a long while, afraid that Yulion might have spiked his food again without his notice. Gimli, seeing his friend's concern, tried a small piece of the Elf's dish before signaling to the Prince that it was safe to eat. The Dwarf was accustomed to smoking so pipe weed had no adverse effect on him. In addition, Gimli prided himself on a connoisseur of Halfing's Leaves and was sure he would recognize its presence with only a small taste.  
  
Upon his friend's reassurance, Legolas gingerly put a morsel of chicken into his mouth. To his dismay, the meat tasted as foul as, if not worse than, yesterday's food. It was salty to the point of bitterness and it was almost as hard as dragon scales. The Elf stopped eating and looked up to see Gimli digging into his plate with enthusiasm. Though Legolas was very fond of his new friend, he could not help thinking that Dwarves were such strange creatures to enjoy this horrible food. When the Prince attempted to stab his fork into a larger and particularly overcooked piece, the silver utensil bent, failing to pierce the flesh of the chicken. At this point, Legolas laid down his fork and gave up trying to eat his food.  
  
Gimli paused from his gorging to look at the Elf in concern, "What's wrong?"  
  
"The fork and baked chicken had a fight and the chicken won," said the Prince sarcastically as he held up his twisted fork.  
  
"I admit the meat a little too chewy, even for my taste; but you should eat more since you will need strength for the afternoon's training. The obstacle course is extremely difficult," replied the Dwarf as he began eating again.  
  
"Unlike you, Gimli, I do not have teeth of steel," pouted Legolas as he pushed the plate away.  
  
"And to think that Elves thought themselves oh-so-superior when they allow a piece of chicken to defeat them," teased Gimli, thinking to trick his friend into eating.  
  
"That's not going to work on me, my friend; I am a trained diplomat, remember. And if you like the food so much, you can have my portion as well," replied the Prince as he continued to pout very prettily.  
  
Before Gimli could come up with another method of persuasion, the conversation was interrupted by multiple gasps of awe as the Lady of Rivendell sauntered gracefully into the room, carrying a green parrot in a cage. Well, it was more like marched angrily, but we were talking about Arwen Evenstar, the most beautiful Elf maiden alive. By virtue of her beauty and radiance, everything she did would always be perceived as graceful and elegant. Yes, even when she was in Arwen the Destroyer mode; those in the audience would find her fighting style graceful despite the pity they had for the one enduring her wrath. Her attacks were so smoothly executed that they resembled an elegant dance, except it was a routine to inflict pain upon another.   
  
It was not long before she spotted the Dwarf sitting with a very pretty fair-haired Elf. If she was incensed before, the Lady was positively fuming now. Despite the denials in her heart, she knew the blond was prettier than her. Now instead of shedding the blood of one army recruit, Arwen the Destroyer intended to maim two. That golden Elf would not get away with being more beautiful than her. She should be the fairest of them all; that was what Estel, the magical parrot, told her and it could not possibly be wrong!  
  
As she made her way towards the pair, Estel's attention was drawn to the Prince. The moment the bird laid eyes on his beloved, it began to sing praises of his beauty. And it was no longer just his one line, 'thou, my Lady, art the fairest of all'.  
  
During his separation from the golden Elf, the bird had improved his repertoire, picking up phrases from the continuous string of compliments Arwen received yesterday. Estel the parrot hoped to impress the beautiful Elf with its charming words so Legolas would claim it for his own. It would give anything to sit on the Prince's finger again; learning a few lines was not a problem at all for the intelligent Estel.  
  
"Even without the make-up and the clothes, you will still be the prettiest," quipped the bird before going into a full-blown love song.  
  
//Look into my heart, you'll find there's nothing there to hide. Take me as I am, take my life, I would give it all I would sacrifice..//  
  
The song ended abruptly as Estel was frightened into silence by a very loud, blood-curdling scream from Arwen. "Enough. Shut UP!!" yelled the Lady of Rivendell.  
  
Even the awestruck recruits knew to back away in fear. The cry startled everyone out of their daydream and alerted them to a very dangerous side of Arwen that they were very grateful not to have seen. Quickly, the recruits leapt out of the Lady's way as she approached the Dwarf and golden Elf with a heated expression that would put the fires of Smaug to shame. Some less courageous trainees even fled the scene in fear of being in the way of Arwen's wrath.  
  
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Arwen could not believe her pet was singing to the Dwarf just now. He was not even wearing green feathers at the moment! In addition, the trainee was more unsightly up close. He had absolutely no right to be touched by her tall, dark and handsome human lover. Soon enough, he would get what was coming to him. But before that, she needed him to speak with Estel to clear its head of its romantic delusions.  
  
Legolas and Gimli stood in honor of the Lady. It was more like the Prince stood and the Dwarf followed his lead. Gimli still did not understand why people seemed so enamored with her. At this moment, she looked more like a fearsome dragon than the Evening Star of the Elves. He could not blame Aragorn for becoming attracted to his gentle friend; anyone with her as girlfriend would. She was very scary. And from up close, Legolas was definitely much prettier.  
  
Before the Prince could start a polite rapport, an extremely angry Arwen commanded as she pointed at Gimli, "You there. I want you to talk to my pet. Tell him that you are not a parrot and that you don't love him."  
  
It quickly became clear to Legolas that the Man had told Arwen that Gimli found the parrot. He understood Aragorn must have his reasons for lying; but the Elf could not help being a little disappointed that the Man would not admit to kissing him. As soon as the thought entered his head, a small voice in his mind began to admonish him. Of course he wouldn't tell her. He must have kissed dozens of guys before; what is one more kiss. Aragorn is just being nice to you; nothing more. Arwen is beautiful, popular, charming, everything that you are not! You will never compare to her. You have to stop this foolish dream of true love before you embarrass yourself further.   
  
The Prince recovered in time to stop Gimli from correcting Arwen and said, "Go on Gimli, say 'I am very fond of you but I am not a parrot, so I cannot truly return your feelings. I am sorry but I wish you happiness with the Lady.'"  
  
Gimli grumbled his line and the parrot looked appropriately dejected. The Dwarf did not understand why his friend wanted to keep the truth from Arwen, since the Lady was bound to find out if things were to go any further between Legolas and the Man. But he could see how peeved Arwen was and was determined to do whatever necessary to deflect her rage from the Prince.  
  
The intelligent parrot knew Legolas did not want to abandon him. It had seen first-hand many times what the Lady could do to the victims of her wrath. Estel did not wish its beloved to suffer that fate. For the bird, it was enough to hear that the golden Elf was fond of it; the parrot would sacrifice his freedom and dreams to protect the one it loved.  
  
Luckily, Arwen seemed oblivious to inner thoughts of the two trainees and her pet. Somewhat appeased, the Lady's expression turned from one that resembled a fierce fire-breathing lizard to a malicious smile of a laughing hyena. Now, she was finally free to take her revenge on the pair of recruits; the Dwarf for bewitching her Estel and the Elf for being beautiful. Gently, she laid down the parrot's cage on the table and began to approach Gimli. She figured that the blond was not much of a threat; once the Dwarf was disposed of, the Elf would be hers to do as she pleased.  
  
Well, she wasn't going to kill them, so 'disposed of' were rather strong words to use. She was just going to make sure Gimli would be bedridden for at least a week. As for Legolas, she only wanted to put a couple of scars on that all too perfect face and body. That should ascertain she would be the prettiest when the fight was done.   
  
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Before she could begin her attack, Arwen was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Elladan into the dining area, a very disheveled Elladan holding a sword and running for dear life, to be precise. Shortly after the elder twin, Aragorn charged into the room, brandishing Anduril, poised to kill or seriously harm something. The Man was followed by a very hyper dog, which was barking and attempting to jump onto Aragorn without pause. With a talking parrot and a hyperactive dog, the place resembled a circus more than the lunch area of an army camp.  
  
As soon as he spotted Arwen, the dark-haired Elf rushed towards his little sister in an attempt to use her as an Elven shield. Aragorn, seeing the elder twin's intentions, immediately gave chase. The chain reaction was of course completed with Milo running as quickly as his short legs would carry it to keep up with the Man's long strides.  
  
When they reached the Lady, they started running in circles around her; Aragorn trying to catch the Elf and Milo trying to get onto the Man. Estel, watching the curious proceedings from his vantage point on the table, started to cackle at the ridiculous sight. The scene indeed was very similar to a circus act of clowns making fools of themselves.  
  
Legolas knew this was their chance to escape. He did not want to abandon the Man to face the scary Lady alone, but he knew neither him nor Gimli would survive a fight with Arwen unscathed. They had to leave now. Dwarf in tow, the golden Elf sneaked out of the lunch area while the Lady was still trapped within the moving circle of Elf, Man and dog.  
  
Arwen decided she had enough. "Stop it! All of you."  
  
Everyone stilled and fell silent at the sound of her voice. Usually, it would be because they were mesmerized by the purity and beauty of her melodic voice. But today, it was out of fear. Arwen was in full Destroyer Mode now. She noticed that the two trainees had stolen away in the confusion. She had missed her chance to vent her anger today and pent-up frustration was definitely not a good thing.  
  
"What is going on? Who is responsible for this?" whispered the Evening Star dangerously.  
  
The dark-haired Elf promptly pointed at the Man who pointed at the dog. When Arwen crossed her arms and glared at the group, the bravest of them all spoke up first. "Wow, woooow, woow, voow, wow, woo, woof....." Okay, the entire speech basically translated to, "Aragorn mad at Milo for sneaking into his room. Blame Master for it. Milo not wanted to get Master into trouble. But Milo loves Man so much, cannot stop himself. Urge is too strong."  
  
I know people would expect Aragorn to speak. He was courageous and chivalrous. There was not much in the world that Aragorn feared. It was sort of difficult to imagine a small critter like Milo being the bravest of the three. But we were talking about a dog that would brave the Man's and the Lady's fury. Even Aragorn could not top that since he never had to face his own wrath...  
  
Arwen regarded the adorable little puppy for a long while before deciding to forgive Milo. She could understand why the dog was so enamored with Aragorn; the Man was tall, dark and handsome with a sexy voice and dreamy body. Speaking of Aragorn, he definitely owed her an apology for not coming last night.  
  
"I see. I forgive you; just don't make such a ruckus again, okay?" said the Lady softly at Milo. When the dog barked its assent, Arwen turned towards the Man, her death glare intact. "Why did you not come last night?"  
  
Before the Man could answer, Elladan spoke for him. "Aragorn was shot in archery practice yesterday. He had to stay in bed."  
  
"You look pretty okay to me, 'darling', wielding that sword of yours, chasing after Elladan," said Arwen directly at her lover.  
  
"I am feeling much better now. I was actually sleeping when Milo woke me. It interrupted a particularly nice dream of mine, where I was watching the sunset with the most gorgeous creature in this world. That was why I got very upset. In my annoyance, I feared I have neglected my injuries and made it worse," replied the Man truthfully.  
  
Aragorn knew his Lady would assume he was dreaming of her. She would be very pleased to hear that she was on his mind even when he slept. Though the Man wanted to break up with Arwen as soon as possible, this was neither the time nor the place. Besides, he promised to give the twins two weeks to investigate Lasgalen's background.  
  
Mollified that the interruption of a simple dream of her had caused the unflappable Aragorn to lose his composure, the Lady's anger vanished in an instant. Her expression metamorphosed into a brilliant smile; Arwen the Destroyer returned to being Arwen Evenstar, the fair Lady of Imladris. Gracefully, she glided to the Man and slipped an arm around his waist to support her injured lover. Not that Aragorn needed it since he was only slightly wounded in the SHOULDER. But Arwen didn't know that. Even if she did, she would still do the same thing, since she wanted to show what a caring individual she was...  
  
"Aragorn and I are heading back to his rooms. Milo, you would do well not to follow," said Arwen meaningfully before leaving the lunch area with her arms around the Man. For those watching the scene, it was not difficult to imagine what the Man and Elf would be doing once they returned to Aragorn's chambers.  
  
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Unbeknownst to the Man, two pairs of eyes were secretly observing the proceedings from a safe distance. One of those pairs was completely blurred with tears as the couple disappeared from the room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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I do own the chicken and fork joke. It actually happened to me once in the dining commons of my dorm...  
  
Nimuea: I don't mind people telling me I have grammatical errors in my writing. I believe in constructive criticism. I have received reviews of similar nature for Shadow, which just prompted me to pay more attention to editing and double-checking my writing. I was just ticked off by the way the Grammar Police made his/her comments. 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
... = Thoughts or random ramblings of authoress.  
  
I took a scene from Never been kissed. You will recognize it when you see it =)  
  
Not a funny chapter. No Milo and Estel cameo =(  
  
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Chapter 12:  
  
After less than ten minutes of archery practice, the Guardian of Lòrien could tell that Legolas' mind was not on the field. The Prince had yet to hit his target once. In fact, the young one had not even mastered the basic motions of drawing a bow and notching an arrow. Given the golden Elf's talents, Haldir concluded that his student must be distracted by something else. Or rather someone, since the archer knew that with Gimli keeping a careful watch on the Prince, no one could poison the young Elf again and survive. Since all the recruits were present for practice, the Guardian was certain that Legolas was not intoxicated in any way. Thus, the Prince must be thinking about the one Man who could cause Legolas to lose focus, Aragorn.  
  
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It took the young Elf thirty minutes to stop the overflow of tears flooding his face after leaving the lunch area. Gimli tried to console his friend, but it was difficult to comfort someone who would not even admit to being hurt. Legolas kept saying it was only a bit of sand that got into his eyes. Even the most stupid of Sauron's Orcs would not be fooled by that excuse, let alone a smart person like Gimli. How the Dwarf wished he could go knock some sense into their idiot commander's head for hurting the Elf so carelessly.  
  
The Dwarf could not understand was why the Man had not told Arwen the truth. Gimli was certain that his human commander was dreaming of Legolas; why couldn't Aragorn just say so clearly. It would make things so much easier for Gimli and Haldir. The Man's ambiguous words had led his Lady to believe she still held his affections and made Legolas cry. If only his friend was a little bit more self-confident, the Elf would know that Aragorn was speaking of him, honoring him with the title of the most beautiful creature in the world. But given the Prince's unassuming nature, that thought never occurred to Legolas.  
  
To make matters worse, the Elf had declared his love yesterday in front of the entire camp. Seeing the Lady and Aragorn went off to 'explore the physical dimension of their relationship' was bad enough; but watching that scene after the open display of affections must have been heartbreaking for his gentle friend. Legolas took it as a sign of rejection; that the Man did not return his feelings at all.  
  
The Prince had never been in love before, let alone out of love. The Elf's training in composure simply did not know how to handle this utterly foreign pain, leaving Legolas free to do whatever he felt like; which happened to be crying nonstop for thirty minutes, much to Gimli's chagrin. There was not much in the world the brave warrior Gimli feared. But seeing the rivers of tears flowed from his friend's eyes, he realized he was afraid of seeing beautiful creatures cry. That sight just did not sit well with the Dwarf. Plus, he was beginning to worry that if the Elf did not stop crying, his tears would flood their camp.  
  
Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But Gimli was worried. His limited knowledge of the Elves told him that these fey creatures could die of grief. The Dwarf could never understand it; how can anything be so fragile that emotions could kill them?! And to think the weak skinny Elves considered themselves superior to the Dwarves! You never see a stout Dwarf dying of grief. But anyways, Legolas was definitely unhappy enough to be considered grieving. The Dwarf hoped nothing bad would happen to his friend; or else, commander or not, Aragorn was going to get what's coming.   
  
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Archery lessons did not end well. Legolas missed all his targets. Even Gimli, who was a novice using a bow way too big for his size, scored better than the Elven Prince. It did not surprise the Dwarf though; for even if the Elf's mind were on practice, his eyes would not cooperate. Those azure beauties were red, swollen and bleary from the thirty minutes of intense crying. There was no way Legolas could see and aim properly in his condition. Haldir too had noticed the aftermath of tears. As he missed the whole scene at the lunch area, the Guardian of Lòrien took Gimli aside to inquire on the situation before the obstacle course began.  
  
"He did WHAT?" cried the Elf.  
  
"Sshh. Quiet down, will you? Do you want everyone to hear us? You troublesome Elves have too keen senses if you ask me," whispered Gimli.  
  
"Right, sorry. I was really unpleasantly surprised. I was sure Aragorn was going to break up with Arwen. I overheard the twins talking about ways to prevent that from happening," said Haldir quietly.  
  
"Why would they want to get between Aragorn and Legolas?" asked the Dwarf.  
  
"Because Arwen would be very angry if she got dumped. You have seen her angry, right?" replied the Guardian.  
  
"Yeah. But I am sure Aragorn can handle her," said Gimli.  
  
"That shows how much a Dwarf knows about Elven culture. The Evening Star is Lady Galadriel's granddaughter. Arwen has magic. Besides, there is no way Aragorn will actually fight her. He is far too noble to ever raise his hand against a Lady," replied Haldir while shaking his head at the Dwarf.  
  
"Which side are you on?" hissed Gimli.  
  
"Legolas', of course. I want to see him happy with Aragorn too. But it would be nice not to incur Arwen's wrath in the process. Still, to go off with his Lady in front of an audience after Legolas sang of love yesterday, what was the Man thinking?" said the Elf.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," agreed the Dwarf, somewhat satisfied of Haldir's intentions. He still did not trust the Elf much, but that had to do with his upbringing. He was taught to never trust an Elf. Legolas of course, was the exception; but then the Prince never quite fit in with the other Elves, so he did not count.  
  
"You think you can get Legolas to pay attention to where he is going on the obstacle course?" asked the Guardian worriedly.  
  
"Don't know. Though he won't admit it, he can't see properly. There is only so much abuse those delicate eyes of his can take. Is there anyway you can get it canceled? Or maybe make up some excuse for special exercise to get our Elf friend out of the training?" replied Gimli.  
  
"No, that won't work. The others will only dislike him more if I too show that much favoritism. Besides, Legolas will know if I try anything of that sort. He is very stubborn about taking part in these exercises, even if his mind isn't really there. He will get annoyed at me," said Haldir, shaking his head.  
  
"Alright then, I will try to get Legolas out of his trance. No guarantees though. But either way, I will keep my eyes on him and make sure he stays out of trouble," said the Dwarf.  
  
"Good luck," whispered the Elf, still worried about the Prince.  
  
"I am an experienced Dwarf warrior, I don't need luck," replied Gimli. When Haldir rolled his eyes and muttered a prayer to Elbereth, the Dwarf added with a confident pound on the chest, "Don't worry, my friend, Gimli is on the case."  
  
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Legolas knew he needed to focus. He was terrible at target practice. He knew everyone must be laughing at him now. But then, that was hardly news after his debacle at archery practice yesterday. He needed to prove he was not useless to his fellow recruits and the twins; that he could do things right without help from Gimli, Haldir or Aragorn. Aragorn.... The very thought of that name brought tears to his already bleary eyes.  
  
How could he be stupid enough to think the Man liked him that way when Aragorn already had Arwen. His human commander was just being nice, nothing more. And that earth shattering, heart-stealing kiss was nothing more than a plan to get Estel back for his Lady. It was Legolas' first, and the Elf vowed it would be his last, for he meant what he said; he knew after that kiss that Aragorn was the one. There would be no other for him. Given how the Man felt, the Elf was sure things of the sort would never happen again.  
  
And all the while, the Prince was worried that a relationship with Aragorn would hamper his mission. How could he misjudge the situation so badly that he did not realize his affections were one-sided and that there would be no 'relationship' between the Man and himself. He should be relieved that no personal issues would be clouding his judgment on his mission. Yet, when he thought of the Man not returning his love, the Elf could not stop his rebellious lacrimal glands from secreting tears. It was like an involuntary reflex, similar to the way a human's leg jerked when the knee was tapped.  
  
"Legolas, please stop mourning over the Man. He is so not worth it," said Gimli.  
  
"I am not mourning. And he is WORTH it," hissed the Prince dangerously.  
  
The Dwarf made a mental note not to insult Aragorn again in front of his friend. He did not want to know if the gentle Elf would ever turn into a scary creature like Arwen given enough provocation. "Sorry. I just don't like to see you cry," said Gimli.  
  
"I should be the one apologizing for worrying you," replied the Elf with a small smile.  
  
"Who said I am worried? Now let's go show those wussy Elves how to do an obstacle course properly," said the Dwarf gruffly as he laid an affectionate pat on his friend's leg. Gimli still couldn't believe how much he actually liked the Elven Prince. It really was not 'normal' for a Dwarf to like an Elf that much. But then, no 'normal' Dwarf would join an Elven army. Gimli decided that he was strange, but in a good way, like in an uncommonly brave and open-minded way, at least according to Legolas.  
  
"I am glad you are with me, Gimli," said the Prince, this time with a full smile. Regardless of what happens in the future, he have gained a loyal life-long friend in Gimli.  
  
"I'll race you to the start line," cried the Dwarf as he began to run towards their destination.  
  
Legolas laughed softly as he easily caught up with his smaller friend despite the Dwarf's head start. Maybe today would not be such a bad day after all, as long as he kept his mind off a certain someone.  
  
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A mummy-like figure lay on Aragorn's bed. The creature had been wrapped from head to toe in bandages. As soon as he sensed his tormentor had left the room, angry moans erupted as the one inside the bindings flopped around on the bed, struggling to get free. After ten minutes, the creature finally managed to tear the bandages suffocating him off his face, revealing a very, very, very incensed Aragorn. He did not know why he had to agree to give the twins two weeks. Letting Arwen play doctor was one thing, but being mummified alive was another. Well, that's not entirely true since all his internal organs were still in tact and inside the Man. If you wish for details of the mummification process, watch the Mummy. It is rather disgusting and I will not expound on it here.   
  
Besides, the Man didn't really want to share intimacy with anyone other than Lasgalen. After that kiss, the only one Aragorn dreamed of bedding was the Golden Elf. He had pretty much lost interest in all the others, including his Lady. It was a good thing that a male human body had a mind of its own given enough incentive. Arwen would definitely know he was in love with someone else otherwise. He was really sick of playing this game, pretending that he still wanted her. But a promise was a promise, and Aragorn was a noble soul who would not go back on his word. Where was that blasted dog when the Man needed him?! He could use Milo's interruption just now. But the dog was intelligent enough to heed Arwen's warning and did not disturbed them.  
  
It took several more minutes before Aragorn finally broke out of his bandage cocoon. He decided that he was well enough to oversee the obstacle course. The truth was that he was slightly worried about Lasgalen. It was a very difficult trail; from his observations of the Elf during their journey, the recruit would be having trouble finishing the course, least say hitting the targets. Though Lasgalen was talented beyond belief with weapons, the Elf lacked the necessary endurance to become a successful warrior. His student would have to greatly improve his stamina if he were to become a worthy match for the tall, dark handsome Man. I meant a good enough warrior to be Aragorn's consort. I am not referring to stamina for any other sort of physical activities. Sorry, mind is in the gutter today. Anyways....  
  
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Out of breath, the Prince stopped running as he bent over and rested his hands on his knees. Gimli stopped a few steps behind his friend, keeping watch to make sure no one could play a trick on the exhausted Elf. The Prince had spent the past two hours climbing up and down trees, running over ropes and jumping from branch to branch. Legolas was the tactical advisor and diplomat of Mirkwood; his daily activities involved reading and writing parchments, thinking and speaking with important people. Physical fitness was not exactly the Golden Elf's strong suit, as one might have guessed since the young Prince was ALWAYS in his library when he was in the palace.  
  
Things would be easier if the Prince did not have to keep an eye out for Gimli as well. But Dwarves were not designed to travel through trees at high speeds. More than once, Legolas had to grab his friend to steady him and prevent him from falling. When the Prince asked the Dwarf how he managed to complete yesterday's course without any help, Gimli merely shrugged and answered, "Unlike Elves, Dwarves are very sturdily built. A fall from the trees is nothing to me."  
  
Gimli was not built to run on ropes either. The Dwarf was having a very hard time keeping balance. When the Elf asked how Gimli got across the stream the previous time, his friend smiled and said, "Dwarves are excellent swimmers."  
  
The flow of the stream was not fast, but Legolas knew the water must be very cold. Gimli had been such a good friend; the Elf was not going to allow his friend to suffer if he could help it. There were three ropes tied to the same branch to allow more recruits to cross at the same time. Since they were the last to cross, the Prince untied one of the ropes and secured its end to a slightly higher branch. He then ran across another rope and retied the first rope such that it was parallel to the one he sprinted across. He then returned to Gimli, showing him how to walk sideways across grasping the higher rope for balance.  
  
Without much difficulty, the Dwarf crossed the stream successfully on the ropes. However, there were similar ropes on which the recruits had to balance and shoot at the same time. On those, Legolas had resorted to being anchor for Gimli while the Dwarf made his shot. Gimli may be short, but with full armor, the Dwarf was rather heavy. One could imagine how tired the Elf was, having to hold the weight of his friend repeatedly while keeping both their balance.  
  
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"You should go on without me, Gimli. You said the rest of the course is just crawling under fallen trees and jogging, right?" said Legolas.  
  
"I am not leaving you here, my friend. You are only this tired because you were helping me," replied Gimli.  
  
"That's what friends are for. The course has a two and a half hour limit. If you hurry, you will make it in time. It will not do for both of us to fail the training," said the Prince.  
  
When the Dwarf shook his head stubbornly, the Elf said, "I have longer legs than you. I can run faster and catch up if I rest awhile."  
  
When Gimli still looked dubious, Legolas continued, "Just do as I say. I promise I will catch up. Unless you don't trust me, which means you don't think of me as a friend, you should go now."  
  
With a hesitant nod, the Dwarf began running again towards the end of the obstacle course.  
  
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True to his word, the Elf began trying to run after his friend after a short rest. His mind was telling him to move faster, but his body was refusing to obey. It was beginning to get dark and the two and a half hour limit was almost over. So intent on reaching his destination and catching up with Gimli that the Elf did not hear the approach of a small band of Orcs.  
  
These creatures were lost, having strayed from the main force a day ago. Being not too bright, they went the opposite direction of where the other Orcs were, leading them into the forest surrounding Rivendell. If they had arrived earlier, when the other recruits were passing, they would be doomed. They would be live targets for the young Elven soldiers. But now, with Legolas alone, exhausted and muddied from crawling around on the ground underneath fallen trees, the Orcs knew they had the opportunity to capture one of their arch rivals for sport. Or information, which they were in dire need of to find their comrades again. What made them thought Legolas knew where the rest of their army was, no one knew. But they were stupid Orcs, what would people expect...  
  
These creatures crept up on the struggling Elf, whose foot happened to be caught in some vines as he crawled underneath a log on the forest floor. I'll let you in on a secret. Actually, the purpose of the fallen trees was to allow recruits to avoid the mud while shooting the targets. Since the commanders thought it would be intuitive to the Elven trainees, who would avoid dirt at all cost, they never explained the proper way of clearing the obstacle course. However, Gimli was a Dwarf and opted for the easiest way through for someone his size, despite the mud. Since Legolas missed the first day of training and Gimli was the one explaining the training exercise to the Elf, the Prince naturally assumed that he was supposed to crawl around in the mud. Though the dirt offended his delicate senses, Legolas was determined to do things the 'right' way.   
  
Legolas was finally aware of the Orcs surrounding him. In his position on the ground, he could not shoot at them; and since the recruits were given only arrows and their bow, the Elf was completely defenseless. The Prince contemplated stabbing them with his arrows, but their vulnerable areas were out of his reach. That was not exactly true, there was one place Legolas could go for. But I would not allow him to do that since the thought of stabbing someone there was rather disturbing, even if that someone was just an Orc. Besides, there were too many of them for Legolas to fight, especially since the Elf was stuck on the ground.  
  
"Hello, dirty little Elf. Surrender and we will go easier on you," said one of the Orcs maliciously.  
  
As soon as Legolas dropped his weapons, the same Orc that promised lenience yanked the Elf up from the ground by the hair. It would normally hurt to be yanked to one's feet by the hair; but given that the Prince's situation, the pain was compounded when his foot was torn lose from the meshwork of vines. Legolas' foot was now bleeding profusely and his ankle was swollen. The agony was enough to bring tears to the gentle Elf's eyes.  
  
"Look what we have here. Crying already, you little sissy Elf. The fun haven't even started," taunted another Orc.  
  
"Tell us where our army is and we might be merciful and kill you quickly," smirked a third Orc.  
  
If Legolas were not held hostage by a bunch of nasty creatures with a bleeding leg, he would have laughed at that statement. But given the circumstances, the best he could manage was a small shake of his head. The Orcs were enraged by the apparent 'stubbornness' of their captive and one of the raised a hand to strike at the Elf again.  
  
The blow never landed as the creature lay dead with an arrow in its back. The startled Orcs looked around to find a single Human as their attacker; a fuming Man dressed all in black with a murderous expression on his face and a gleaming sword in hand to be exact.  
  
Aragorn was in a really, really bad mood. His beautiful dream was interrupted; he had to sleep with Arwen; he got bound up like a mummy; his shoulder hurt more now than it did yesterday and to top that off, a bunch of ugly beasts were attacking HIS ELF. One look at the Man would send the Nazgûls fleeing.  
  
If the Orcs were intelligent, they too would know to run for their lives. But these said Orcs were anything but smart, so they considered their single assailant to be an easy kill which would give them fresh meat. They had not tasted Man-flesh for awhile; the thought of having that delicacy again clouded their brains even more. They simply ignored their Elven prisoner and started to charge the Man.  
  
Aragorn quickly sidestepped his first attacker, spun behind the Orc and brought his sword up to slit its throat in one smooth motion. The other creatures could only look on in surprise as the Man dispatched another Orc with lightening speed. Aragorn parried, spun away from the Orc, stabbing backwards with his spin to impale the creature before kicking it off his sword and moving onto his next target. That unfortunate one met a quick end as it lost its head in one swift blow.  
  
Now, the remaining beasts knew the Man was not one to be trifled with and started to retreat. In their haste, they had forgotten that Aragorn had arrows, which he used conveniently to pick off the fleeing Orcs. Before the Man entered this battle, he had vowed that all of these creatures would die for touching Lasgalen. Within minutes, his promise was fulfilled as the last of the foul creatures was felled by another well-aimed arrow through the back.  
  
Satisfied with his work, Aragorn put away his weapons and began to walk towards the limping Elf. Legolas had taken the opportunity to 'escape' during the Man's fight with the Orcs and had moved some distance away from the site of carnage.  
  
"Wait. Let me carry you," called out the Man as he hurried to catch up with the Prince.  
  
The Elf answered by limping faster. Frowning, Aragorn easily caught up with his injured student and strode along side him. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Please let me help you."  
  
Legolas again responded by not responding and tried to speed up more. As the pain in his foot and ankle increased, the Elf could not suppress a soft groan with each step he took. The Man did not understand why Lasgalen was refusing his help. His mind immediately drifted to the possibility that his Elf had been violated and was too ashamed to speak. But judging from the conditions of the recruits clothes, that did not seemed likely; which prompted Aragorn to mutter a silent prayer to thank Elbereth. But why else would the Elf not speak to him and refuse his assistance?  
  
Unable to watch his student suffer any longer, the Man walked up to Lasgalen and easily scooped him into his arms. What he did not expect was the Elf to struggle violently against his hold. Aragorn was surprised how much strength the recruit had left after his training and ordeal with the Orcs. Lasgalen had a rather mean left hook and the Man soon found his face and shoulders aching intensely from the Elf's punches.  
  
Aragorn was not about to let a little pain stop him from carrying his injured Elf. He shifted the recruit in his arms such that he now carried Lasgalen on his shoulders. At least, the damage would be limited to his shoulders and back; the Man would not have to go through the trouble of explaining his bruises since they would be invisible under his clothes. In case people were wondering, Legolas was only hitting Aragorn on his uninjured shoulder. Subconsciously, the Elf avoided truly hurting the one he loved =) It of course went without saying that Aragorn was carrying the Prince on his good shoulder as well.   
  
"Let me down, now!!" shouted the Elf, speaking to Aragorn for the first time today. That was not exactly what the Man wanted to hear though; and was a rather unnecessary statement since Lasgalen's actions spoke very eloquently of his wishes.  
  
"I am not going to let you walk on that leg. It might be broken. I will take a look when we get back after you bathe," said the Man resolutely.  
  
"What happens to me is none of your business," retorted the Elf as he renewed his assault on Aragorn's back.  
  
The Man could not remember getting a more severe beating in his entire life. He felt more like a punching bag than a mighty warrior at this moment. But then, it was the first time where Aragorn had completely not felt any urge to retaliate against an attack. Despite the pain the Elf had inflicted upon him, the Man was still more worried about Lasgalen's injured leg. And of course, there was the question of why the Elf seemed all of a sudden so averse to Aragorn's touch. From Lasgalen's song yesterday, the Man was certain the young Elf returned his affections entirely.  
  
"Why are you like this? You had no problems with me carrying you yesterday," asked the puzzled Man.  
  
At the mention of his public declaration of love yesterday, the Elf was reminded how the Man did not return his feelings. His newly discovered reflex kicked in despite Legolas' mental protests. He seized his struggling and started to cry.  
  
The sudden change of mood was not lost on Aragorn. He could feel his shirt becoming drenched by the Elf's tears. But why?! That was when the Man remembered the embarrassing scene at the lunch area, which Aragorn had very carefully erased from his mind. Lasgalen must have thought he was dreaming of Arwen!  
  
"Did anyone ever told you that you are the most beautiful creature in the world?" inquired the Man softly as he laid the Elf gently on the ground so he could look directly into Lasgalen's bleary eyes.  
  
The Man regarded his student intently as a plethora of emotions flew across Lasgalen's face; shock, disbelief, hope and shyness all appearing in turn until a very lovely blush settled upon his delicately sculpted cheekbones.  
  
With eyes downcast and no longer crying, the Golden Elf nodded his head slightly. It was not the first time Legolas had received similar compliments. But it was the first time he received it from someone he was attracted to. The Prince was more than a little embarrassed and did not know how to respond. He had only been attracted to one other person once before and that had been a total disaster.  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
"No sooner had they met, they looked. No sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed.... Does he notice me? Does he hear my heart screaming his name? Sometimes, it is so loud I think the Gods can hear my pain. His voice is so mellifluous. Oh, to get just one small kiss.."  
  
His poem was interrupted by the collective laughter of his class. Legolas did not know what drove him to read his work at lunch hour. That was not entirely true; he knew why he did it, but he could not remember how he convinced himself that his plan would work. Four weeks ago, the young Prince saw for the first time the Elf he thought would be the love of his life. Ever since Legolas laid eyes on the tall, dark and handsome Romul, he could not do much else but harbor romantic fantasies on the popular Elf.  
  
There were only three days before the completion of their training. On that night, a feast would be held to celebrate their new status as Elven warriors. There was nothing Legolas would not do for a chance to be Romul's dance partner at the feast. Unfortunately, that included writing a beautiful poem and reading it to the dark-haired Elf in public in the hopes of gaining his favor.  
  
To his surprise, Romul walked up to him and smiled. The handsome Elf took Legolas' chubby hands in his slender ones and asked with false sincerity, "Would you go with me to the feast?"  
  
Too happy for words, Legolas merely nodded and raced back to the palace to get himself outfitted properly for the banquet.  
  
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The night of the banquet was magical. Legolas wore a green velvet tunic with golden vines embroidered at the sleeves and hem with matching green leggings. His glorious hair was held back in the fashion of a warrior, two small braids on the sides and one in the center. His adorably chubby form emitted a gentle glow, a small candle adding to the romantic silver light of the moon. His stunning azure eyes sparkled with merriment and joy as the small cherub awaited his partner for the evening outside the palace. The forest sang to him lovingly; the whispers of a soft breeze and rustlings of leaves forming a symphony of praise for the young Prince, stating how absolutely cute and adorable the little one was.  
  
So enrapt was Legolas in nature's song that he did not realized Romul had arrived until it was too late. In the blink of an eye, the dark-haired Elf threw a large creamy pastry onto the Prince's face and laughed, "Eat this, fatty."  
  
Out of his trance, Legolas watched as Romul's arm curved around a tall, beautiful silver-haired Elf. The dark-haired Elf had never meant to take the Prince as his partner to the dance. This was nothing but a cruel joke. As tears began to flow from Legolas' now dirty face, the fair-haired Elf mocked him, "Come now, Legless Legolas, you did not seriously think that Romul would want to go with someone like you. Why don't you go home, clean up and try to figure out how many lifetimes is it going to take for you to get popular?"  
  
End Flashback  
  
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Aragorn could no longer bear the silence or the fact that his Elf was not looking at him. He wanted to see those exquisite azure eyes, regarding him lovingly as Lasgalen had done before. He needed to know if he was forgiven. Gently, the Man lifted his student's chin so they were face to face once more. When Aragorn noted the coyness in those glittering sapphires, their current position became too tempting to the Man. Slowly, he leaned forward for a kiss.  
  
Legolas knew what the Man wanted to do. He really wanted it too; the amazing feeling of their first kiss was still fresh in his mind. But the Prince also knew he was filthy; he failed the obstacle course and Aragorn was still his human commander. This was not appropriate; at least not until he had proven himself worthy of the Man's affections. Reluctantly, the Elf turned away before their lips met.  
  
"What's wrong? Are you still angry with me?" asked the Man, clearly disappointed at not getting to kiss his Elf.  
  
"No. You are my commander and I am your student. We should not be doing this. At least, not yet," answered Legolas who was blushing again when he added the last part of the reply.  
  
As much as Aragorn wanted to pursue the Elf now, he knew Lasgalen was right. The golden beauty deserved his undivided attention, which he could not give until he broke up with Arwen. That he could not do for another two weeks because of his promise to the twins. Shaking his head, the Man reluctantly agreed, "You are right. I will wait. But at least let me carry you back to camp."  
  
Smiling gently, Legolas allowed the Man to lift him into his strong arms once more. The weariness of the afternoon's activities all of a sudden caught up with the Elf. In Aragorn's gentle embrace, the Prince drifted into the world of dreams. Despite his resolve to not get involved with his commander yet, instinctively, Legolas' head nestled tightly against the Man's hard chest. The Elf had never felt safer in his entire life, nor had Aragorn felt more complete. 


	13. chapter 13

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Warning: Short chapter, not funny. My mind is still in the gutter. I probably should not be writing this story, but I kind of feel like it. So my apologies in advance for anything inappropriate I make Aragorn do. I did scream at him for it though. More like the decent voice in his head did. Which brings me to ... = thoughts or my ramblings.  
  
Please, please review. They are my fuel =)  
  
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Chapter 13:  
  
Legolas was still sound asleep when the Man reached the barracks. Aragorn meant what he said; he wanted to examine the Elf's injuries after Lasgalen bathed. Stealthily, the Man stole into the bathing room of the student's area. He was glad that his Ranger training allowed him to avoid being seen. He would rather the camp not see him with the young recruit in his arms again. The Man figured that would cause Lasgalen more embarrassment and problems after what happened in archery practice yesterday.  
  
As the Man expected, the bathing room was empty. If there was one thing Elves were quick to do, it was bathing. The Man could imagine the first thing all the soldiers did after training was to rush to the bathing room and clean. Since Lasgalen was a full hour behind every one else, except Gimli, the other Elves had long finished cleaning themselves and were already at dinner.  
  
As for Gimli, he did not visit the bathing room after practice. He went directly to dinner. The Dwarf ranked satisfying his hunger before making himself spotlessly clean. In truth, he would have waited at the finish line of the obstacle course for Legolas. But the twins gave the order to clear the area as soon as the time limit was up. He figured since he could not linger in the field, the least he could do was to go to the dining hall and save some food for the Prince. The Elf had not eaten much at lunch; Gimli did not wish to see his friend starve.   
  
Gently, Aragorn tried to rouse the sleeping Elf in his arms. As much as he disliked the thought of letting go of his student, he knew Lasgalen would prefer to have privacy during his bath; though the Man must admit the thought of bathing his student was extremely tempting. Mentally, Aragorn was already picturing the Elven beauty naked, sighing softly as the Man gently soaped his perfect body, caressing his moist, velvet skin; Aragorn could feel himself grew hard as his imagination took his hands lower, inching towards the golden Elf's private places. Stop it! What do you think you are doing? Lasgalen is an innocent!! You are not going to take advantage of him, even if it is just in your fantasy!   
  
Shaking his head to clear his mind of the lingering image, the Man called Lasgalen's name and shook him. But to his dismay, the sleeping Elf took no heed; his unfocused eyes told Aragorn his student was still in the world of dreams. Gently he lay the Elf down, which elicited a moan from the recruit, thinking to go fetch someone else to clean Lasgalen. As much as he disliked the idea of anyone else seeing his golden Elf naked, the Man knew it was the only solution. He could not trust himself with his student when Lasgalen was in such a vulnerable state.  
  
His plan did not succeed, however, as the Elf in question held tight to his lapel, refusing to let go. Aragorn was at his wits end when the Guardian of Lòrien arrived.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Haldir curiously.  
  
"Lasgalen got attacked by Orcs. I saved him and carried him back here. His leg is injured and he needs to bathe so I can have a better look at his wound. But he fell asleep during the journey. Now he is refusing to wake up or let go of me," replied the Man.  
  
"I suppose you will have to bathe him then," said the archer with a suggestive smile. He was sure Gimli and Legolas both would kill him if they heard him say that.  
  
Haldir was a 'normal' Elf and was more open-minded about such things. He thought Legolas was way too shy for his own good and the Dwarf was far too protective. Things were never going to get anywhere at the current pace. Since the Prince was too asleep to notice and Gimli was at dinner, the silver-haired Elf thought it safe to make the suggestion to Aragorn.  
  
"You cannot be serious," said Aragorn as he blanched. All his blood was rushing to one particular region of his anatomy as the possibility of touching a naked Lasgalen reemerged in his head. His breeches were quickly becoming very uncomfortable.   
  
"Why not? I will be here to help if you think you cannot handle it alone," offered the Guardian. He was certain the Man would kick him out without hesitation.  
  
But before Aragorn could answer, Gimli too entered the bathing room. "What's going on?"  
  
"Our friend fell asleep in Aragorn's arms; he is now refusing to let go. Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be at the dining area saving some food for Legolas?" explained Haldir.  
  
"Yes, but I was getting worried. The Elf promised he would catch up with me; it is not like him to go back on his word. There is no way he could be this late without reason. I was on my way back out to the field to check. But I thought I will stop by here first," replied the Dwarf, who sensed that Haldir was trying to get rid of him. Being naturally suspicious of Elves, Gimli was glad he came by; he knew he interrupted something and he had a feeling the intrusion was a good thing.  
  
"What happened to his leg?" asked the Dwarf when he noticed the dried blood on his friend.  
  
"He was attacked by some Orcs. I don't know exactly how he got the injury; but it needs to be cleaned and tended," answered the Man.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" inquired Gimli as he rushed to the bathing pool to see if the water was warm and clean enough for the Prince.  
  
"Well in case you haven't notice, Lasgalen is asleep and clinging to Aragorn like a koala," remarked Haldir.  
  
"Wake him up then," said the Dwarf, pointing out the obvious.  
  
"You think we haven't tried?" asked the Elven archer.  
  
Gimli was about to make a worthy retort when he remembered how absolutely impossible it was to wake Legolas from a reverie. His experience two nights ago after the Man's kiss taught him that. "What do you suggest we do?"  
  
"Haldir was suggesting that I bathe Lasgalen when you came in," replied Aragorn.  
  
Gimli shot the Lòrien Elf a meaningful glance before hissing, "I don't think that's a good idea. Our friend just injured his leg, right? We could just take off his shoes and wash the wound. I am sure Lasgalen can take care of cleaning himself when he wakes up."  
  
Both Man and Elf saw the logic of the Dwarf's suggestion. They would have thought of it themselves too; but Aragorn's abilities to think were greatly undermined with the golden Elf in his arms, and Haldir wanted the Man to see how truly beautiful Legolas was. The archer was certain that once Aragorn laid eyes on the Prince's full perfection, the Man would be pursuing the young Elf a lot more eagerly. But the Lòrien Elf knew Gimli was not one to be trifled with when angered. Besides, he would rather have the Dwarf work with him than against him in trying to get Legolas and Aragorn together. So, grudgingly, Haldir agreed with Gimli's assessment.  
  
The process of treating the Elf's wounds had taken much longer than usual. It was not because the injuries were very severe; it was just a twisted ankle and some deep scrapes. It was not because Aragorn wanted to take his time admiring the beauty of Lasgalen's shapely leg either. Well, he was staring at the Elf with open desire and wanted to see much more. But the Man knew the importance of prompt treatment to injuries. He was not about to let his desires delay giving his student the proper care.   
  
The main reason for Aragorn's slow progress was that the Elf continued to cling to him. Lasgalen had now wound his arm around the Man's neck. Even if it was not extremely distracting to have the golden beauty's touch upon his bare skin, the contact limited Aragorn's range of motion significantly. Even with the help of Gimli and Haldir who was fetching and grinding herbs for him, it was very difficult to reach the injured Elf's foot with Lasgalen holding onto him. The act required great flexibility and skill. If you have ever tried reaching someone's foot while they sit on your lap, clinging to your neck, you will know what I mean.   
  
When Legolas foot was cleaned and properly bound, the Man carried him back to the student's living quarters. Haldir left to see what the twins were up to; he knew Elladan and Elrohir suspected something. He wanted to make sure the two did not get between the Prince and the Man. Besides, he wanted to cover for Aragorn in case anyone asked where the Ranger was. He was pretty sure the Human commander of the army would be spending the night with Legolas.  
  
When the Dwarf, Man and Prince reached their destination, Aragorn tried to lay the Prince down once more, this time onto the bed. But, once again, he failed as the Elf moaned and tightened his hold and snuggled even closer to his chest. He could probably forcefully remove Lasgalen arms; the Man was much stronger than the lithe Elf. But it felt so right having the Prince in his arms; Aragorn did not have the heart or the will to break out of the young Elf's embrace.  
  
"I don't think you are going to get him off you until he wakes. Trust me on this, nothing can get Lasgalen to respond when he is dreaming," commented Gimli as he jumped onto his own bed.  
  
Seeing his human commander stood at the edge of his friend's bed, with Legolas in his arms, looking utterly confused and at a loss of what to do, Gimli decided he would take pity on the Man. He knew the Prince was very shy and innocent. That was why he did not wish to rush things between Legolas and Aragorn. But this was a special situation; and it called for special measures. The Dwarf knew his friend would be blushing from head to toe and swatting him on the head if the Elf were awake to hear his suggestion; but since Legolas was not awake and probably won't be for some time, it made no sense to Gimli not to point out the obvious. "You could stay the night. The bed is big enough for both of you."  
  
Aragorn's jaws dropped at the Dwarf's suggestion. Coming from someone who was discreet enough to point out only Lasgalen's wounds needed to be cleansed, the comment completely boggled the Man's mind. The blankness in Aragorn's mind did not last long as vivid images of conducting wild and inappropriate behavior with the sleeping beauty surfaced in his mind.  
  
When Gimli observed the stunned look on his human commander's face, he had no problem guessing what the Man was thinking. The dwarf felt the need to clarify, "He isn't going to wake for a while. He isn't going to let go of your neck either. You might as well lie down with him and make yourself comfortable while the Elf sleeps off his fatigue. But I am warning you; I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox. If you try anything, I will kill you, commander or not."  
  
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	14. chapter 14

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. This story was supposed to be a short comedy. Never expected it to be this long. Hope people are still finding this interesting.  
  
I am in a rather sentimental mood now. I actually cried when I wrote chapter 11 for Prince. I am so pathetic. But anyway, that's at beta's =) So I think I will write another chapter of this to make me happier =)  
  
Not funny though. A lot of setup for things to come, want to try to finish this soon.  
  
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Chapter 14:  
  
Legolas opened his eyes and found himself staring at Aragorn's bare chest. Well, it's not really bare since the Man was still clothed; but it might as well have been. His shirt was only buttoned halfway, leaving his hard, well-toned muscles in clear view for the Prince to admire. The Elf was not sure if he was dreaming, so he closed and reopened his eyes to see if the Ranger would disappear. But once again, when he was greeted by the sight of Aragorn's broad, flawless chest.  
  
Legolas remembered falling asleep in the Man's arms, but he did not expect to wake up there as well. But whether it was a dream or reality, warmth was beginning to creep up the Prince's face as he blushed in embarrassment at the situation. He tried to move away but found himself trapped against Aragorn's larger frame by strong arms encircling his waist. Their position was definitely too intimate for the innocent Elf's liking. When he thought of pushing against the Man to free himself, he was dismayed to discover his arms around Aragorn's neck, cradling the Man's head to the top of his.  
  
At this moment, the Prince was completely crimson from the inappropriateness of his own behavior. He realized that he must have held onto his human commander in his sleep. He had probably refused to let go, which was why Aragorn was here with him. Legolas could not believe his own wanton actions. He was royalty, well-trained in courtesy and manners. Before he came to Rivendell, he would never even dream of clinging onto another the way he did. Aragorn and this mission were having a much bigger effect on him than he anticipated. The Prince was not sure if this was a good thing.  
  
With some effort, Legolas brought his thoughts back to his current situation. He untangled his arms around the Man and was about to try to push Aragorn away when he realized that would require him putting his hands of his commander's bare chest. The thought of touching Aragorn made the Elf blush even redder, if such a thing was possible. Forcing his mind to calm a little, he tried to think like his old self, the tactical advisor of Mirkwood. So rolling sideways out of the Man's embrace was no longer an option. Maybe I can try wiggling and leaving at the foot of the bed.   
  
That of course was the wrong thing to do. But being a sweet, innocent Elf, Legolas would not know that. His movements caused the sleeping Man to moan in pleasure and tightened his grip, grinding a certain very hard region of his lower body into the Prince. Legolas gasped in surprise at the sudden friction, before renewing his struggles to get free. The fact that he liked the feeling of Aragorn's arousal against him disturbed the virginal Elf greatly. Legolas no longer cared that he was touching the Man. He needed to get away before the situation escalated. He shoved at his commander, pushing hard against Aragorn with his slender hands.  
  
His efforts were rewarded when the Man regained consciousness. With sleepy eyes, Aragorn regarded the struggling Elf questioningly. It was the very first time where one of his bed partners wanted to leave his embrace after spending the night in his arms. But then, this should not be that surprising since Lasgalen was an innocent. And there was also the fact that they did not do anything; so the Elven beauty was not enamored with his prowess and skills in bed. Still, his student was the one who refused to let go; why was he in so much of a hurry to leave?  
  
"Let me go!" cried the Elf as he gave Aragorn another shove.  
  
"You are the one who was clinging to me earlier. It's only fair that I get to hold you for as long as I like as well," replied an amused Man, determined not to allow his student escape his embrace. The truth was that Lasgalen's struggles excited Aragorn immensely, a little too much for the Man's comfort. He decided he would at least get a kiss for his aches. After all, his student started this last night with his unrelenting hold.  
  
This was one of the few times in his life where Legolas was at a lost of words. The silvery tongue of the diplomat from Mirkwood was legendary; he was usually full of witty or inspiring comments. The Prince opened his mouth to speak but could not find the right thing to say. Aragorn took advantage of the Elf's distraction and claimed those delectable lips again. The Man fully expected Lasgalen to react to his kiss passionately as he did two nights ago when Aragorn was trying to recapture Estel. But he was wrong. The Elf renewed his struggles and tried to turn away from the Man's touch.  
  
At this point, Aragorn had finally figured out that the Elf actually meant 'no' when he said 'no'. You know how sometimes girls said 'no' when they meant 'yes'; and they only said 'no' because they wanted the Man to pursue harder, Aragorn mistook Lasgalen's negative response at the beginning as one of those times. Quickly, he released the Elf and rolled off the bed.  
  
"I am sorry. I didn't realize how adverse you are to my kisses," said the Man, looking more than a little hurt. He was sure Lasgalen liked his kiss two nights ago.  
  
"I told you to let me go," retorted the Prince.  
  
"I didn't think you mean it. A lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'," replied Aragorn.  
  
"Well, I am not one of them," said the Elf curtly before attempting to stand.  
  
The Elf's keen senses told him that he was filthy and was in dire need of a bath. Training had already begun, judging by his roommate's absence. Legolas was going to try to attend as much of it as possible. Though he knew his revenge on Yulion would have to wait, since the competition of skills involved all three components of their training, he would like to observe the dark-haired Elf more. Knowing one's opponent was the key to success.  
  
To his annoyance, his ankle still pained him. Noticing the slight wince on the Elf, Aragorn moved to his side in an instant, thinking to support Lasgalen. His kind gesture, however, was firmly brushed aside by his student.  
  
"I can manage on my own," said the Prince as he limped out of the room towards the bath, leaving behind a very confused Aragorn.  
  
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Aragorn was in an irritable mood. He could not understand why Lasgalen was so cold to him all of a sudden. The Elf knew how Aragorn felt about him and the Man was certain his student returned his feelings. Why did Lasgalen push him away? He hoped it was not his kiss that offended the Elf. It was just a misunderstanding; and a really understandable one at that since Lasgalen was the one clinging onto him in the first place. Aragorn might be a Man of iron resolve, but his passion for the golden beauty was enough to melt the strongest of mithril. How else was he supposed to react when the Elf tempted him with his intoxicating touch?  
  
The Man could not believe it; but his day had just gotten worse. The object of his affections had limped onto the field. But instead of waving to him or giving him an acknowledging smile, Lasgalen stood close to the edge of the training area quietly, eyes glued onto a particularly handsome dark-haired Elf. Aragorn did not recall ever being jealous before, but he certainly was now. And it was a very scary sight; the twins and Haldir backed away from the Man who resembled a volcano about to erupt. They knew how skilled their human friend was with weapons; they did not want to be anywhere near Aragorn when his violent tendencies surfaced.  
  
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Haldir considered telling the Man that his friend was only watching Yulion to study his sword fighting techniques, but finally decided against it. The rate at which the relationship between Aragorn and Legolas was developing was too slow for the Guardian of Lòrien's tastes. The training would only last five weeks. After that, the troops would be sent into battle. Even if the Prince were not summoned back to Mirkwood to resume his role as tactical advisor, the two would not have the privacy or time for courtship on a battlefield. The Man and Golden Elf must become a couple before training ends.  
  
Haldir expected the Prince to be shy. But Aragorn's reserve was a real surprise. The Man had always been quick to act once he knew what he wanted. And the archer was sure Aragorn wanted Legolas, more than anything else in the world. Yet, his human friend held back, refusing to pursue the Golden Elf actively. The stupid Man even agreed to wait two weeks before breaking up with Arwen! It was very uncharacteristic of him. The Lòrien Elf hoped that jealous would prod Aragorn into action and staked a claim on his heart's desire.  
  
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It did not take long for the older Elves' expectations to be fulfilled. With brisk strides, the Man marched onto the field, interrupting the dark- haired recruit's practice. Mustering all the self-control he possessed, Aragorn hissed, "I notice you are a very good swordsman. You will learn more if you spar with me instead."  
  
Yulion was intelligent enough to know that his human commander did not want a match; the Man wanted to give him a severe beating. He wondered if Aragorn found out he was the one who drugged the ditsy blond. It was more than obvious that the pretty Elf was the Man's lover. The dark-haired Elf was thinking of ways to avoid the confrontation when Aragorn shouted, "On guard," as he took a training sword from a close-by Elf.  
  
His human commander's strength was astounding. Yulion's arms hurt from the impact of blocking the Man's first slash. The dark-haired Elf knew Aragorn was wounded in the shoulder, so he sought to attack the weak spot. But his opponent was a seasoned warrior and fully expected him to target his injured right side. Gracefully, the Man spun to avoid the hit and tripped the Elf, sending him flying onto the ground.  
  
Yulion barely had time to regain his feet when Aragorn attacked again. The Elf wondered if any of his ribs were broken when the strike connected before he could even move to defend himself. He was very surprised by his human commander's agility and speed. The recruit had always thought Aragorn inferior, elected commander only because Rivendell wanted all three positions. He never imagined the Man to be so gifted; Isildur's heir might even be a better warrior than the twin sons of Elrond.  
  
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The other recruits watched the 'match' in silence, pitying the dark-haired Elf. They were all amazed at the Human's skills and made mental notes of never to disrespect Aragorn again. They did not wish to suffer Yulion's fate. Legolas watched with increasing alarm as the Man continued to beat on the Elf. It was clear to the Prince that Yulion was significantly outmatched and that the recruit would have surrendered if Aragorn stopped to give him a chance. The Man must have found out that the dark-haired Elf was the one who tricked Legolas. As angry as the Prince was with Yulion, he was determined to avenge himself fairly by beating the other Elf in the competition of skills. He did not want the Man to interfere.  
  
Legolas wanted respect. He wanted to show everyone that he had his own mind and could take care of himself. That was why the Prince was so angry with Aragorn for kissing him against his wishes. He was not some pretty bauble that the Man could touch whenever he felt like it. Nor was he some useless creature that needed to be watched over and protected al the time. He needed to settle the score between himself and Yulion on his own, to prove once and for all that he could do things right without assistance.  
  
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"Stop it, now" the Prince screamed.  
  
His cries had the desired effect on the two fighters. Aragorn stopped hacking mercilessly at the dark-haired Elf on cue and turned to look at Lasgalen. The Golden Elf started limping slowly towards the area where the combatants stood.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Legolas, as he regarded Yulion compassionately. The Prince decided that no one deserved a beating like the one the dark- haired Elf had just received, even if the said recruit had tricked and drugged him.  
  
"I don't know. I hope nothing is broken," replied Yulion. At that precise moment, his knees decided to give and he collapsed into the Prince's arms.  
  
Aragorn was seething again. How dare this dark-haired recruit fall into his Elf's arms?! His annoyance quickly escalated when Lasgalen glared at him and said, "I hope you are happy. You are our commander. Your job is to take care of your recruits, not hurt them. I thought you a better Man."  
  
Unable to contain his jealousy, rage and hurt, the Man yelled back. He did not care that the whole camp was watching anymore. "I did it for YOU! And you repay me by taking his side."  
  
"I never ask you to do this for me. This is between Yulion and I. I don't want anyone to interfere on my behalf in the first place," replied the Prince as he limped off the field, supporting the dark-haired Elf's weight.  
  
Aragorn responded by storming off in the other direction. He had embarrassed himself enough for a day. He did not his troops to see the moisture glistening in his eyes.  
  
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Legolas had returned to his rooms after bringing the dark-haired Elf to his friends. He was sure the popular recruit would be taken care of now that Aragorn was no longer a threat. After a few hours of staring into space, his anger had abated. He was beginning to wonder if he should apologize to the Man. Aragorn was just trying to help after all. Maybe if he explained his feelings to his commander, the Man would understand and respect his wishes. The Prince knew he would need much support if he were to become a capable warrior. As long as Aragorn allowed him to fight his own battles, Legolas would be overjoyed to have the Man as his guiding light.  
  
It was in this dazed state Gimli found his friend. The Dwarf brought some food for Legolas, knowing the Elf had not eaten since lunch yesterday. And this time, he was smart enough to bring fruits, something that the Prince could not reject on the basis of how bad it tasted.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.  
  
"I am just a little confused, that's all. You brought me food. Thanks, Gimli," said Legolas with a smile as he took an apple from the bag his friend offered and began to munch on it absentmindedly.  
  
"Is there something I can help you with?" inquired Gimli.  
  
The Dwarf knew it had to do with Aragorn. He was there to see the beating the Man gave to one of the recruits. Haldir told him that their human commander was jealous and decided to show off for Legolas. It was something Gimli could understand, the need to prove his vigor and strength to a potential mate. But he could not help feeling a little bit of pity for the dark-haired Elf.  
  
That was, of course, until Haldir informed him that Yulion was the one who drugged the Prince. At that point in time, the Dwarf wished his friend had not stopped the beating so soon. But anyway, things were not going well between the Golden Elf and Man. As self-appointed matchmakers, Gimli was given the responsibility to talk to Legolas while the Lòrien archer spoke with Aragorn.  
  
"Aragorn tried to kiss me this morning after I told him to let me go," said the Elf.  
  
The Dwarf was not surprised to hear that the Man had made an amorous advance on his friend. Though he was not impatient like Haldir and was very protective of the young Prince, he could not really blame his commander for attempting to kiss the Elf. After all, Legolas was the one refusing to leave Aragorn's embrace the night before.  
  
Not to mention, when Gimli awoke this morning and checked on his roommate, the Prince was cuddled snugly in the Man's embrace, pressing tightly into Aragorn's larger frame. They looked so perfect together that the over- protective Dwarf decided to forgive the Man for wounding his arms possessively around Legolas in a very intimate fashion. He did not have the heart to rouse either of them and disturb the moment of pure bliss.  
  
"But he stopped when he figured out you didn't want to be kissed, right?" asked the Dwarf. He was quite certain Aragorn would not force anything upon the Elf. The Man might desire Legolas very badly, but he was almost as protective of the beauty as Gimli was.  
  
"Yes, but he shouldn't have tried. He should have done what I told him to do!" replied the Prince, getting angry again when he thought of how Aragorn disrespected his wishes as if he was just a common harlot.  
  
"Men are dense. They don't always get it the first time you tell them," commented Gimli.  
  
The Elf was surprised that his friend was defending Aragorn. He knew Gimli would consider his well being before the Man's. Maybe this really was all a misunderstanding and he had no reason to be so incensed.  
  
"Do a lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'" asked the Prince.  
  
"Dwarves tend to be a little more forthright. So to my knowledge, the answer is no. But then, Elves are tricky creatures by nature. I suppose it is a more common thing among your people. But then you are the diplomat, you should know first-hand how many Elves say things they don't mean just to get people to do things for them," replied Gimli.  
  
The Elf conceded that his Dwarf friend had a point. He, on more than one occasion, had deliberately concealed his feelings or pieces of information to get what he wanted in his diplomatic missions. It was a simple misunderstanding and he had overreacted.  
  
"Do you think Aragorn is mad at me?" asked the Prince. His words on the field today were unnecessarily harsh. He hoped the Man would not be too angry.  
  
"No, it's more likely that he is hurt. He probably thinks you like Yulion more than him," answered the Dwarf as he too began to munch on a pear he brought from the lunch area.  
  
"That's horrible. I must go apologize at once," exclaimed the Elf as he jumped to his feet. In his excitement, he had forgotten his injuries and was rewarded by a jolt of intense pain.  
  
"Take it easy, kid. I'll go with you. I don't really think practice will improve my archery skills much anyway. Besides, I prefer meeting my enemies head on to sitting on trees, sniping at those unsuspecting fellows," said Gimli as he moved to his friend's side. He hoped the Guardian of Lòrien was as successful with calming the Man as he was with the Prince.  
  
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Aragorn sat alone in his room. He had locked his door upon his return from the training field. He decided he did not wish any interruptions as he wallowed in misery. The Man still could not believe Lasgalen would fall for another. He was so sure the Golden Elf only had eyes for him. But it would seem he was wrong in his assumptions. And to think he was even willing to give up Arwen just so he could be with Lasgalen. He did not know when he had turned into such a stupid hopeless romantic to fall for the Elven recruit so completely.  
  
A rustling in a nearby branch interrupted his thoughts. As his attention was drawn to the tree, he noticed it was Milo, walking precariously on the branch, heading towards his room. He watched as the dog hesitated for a moment, as if to gather his courage, before making the final leap into his chambers through the windows.  
  
"So that's how you get in here, little guy," said the Man. Aragorn was too depressed to be angry at the dog's intrusion.  
  
Milo, seeing that his beloved was not angry to see him for once, jumped onto the Man's lap with joy. Wagging his tail frantically, the dog tried to lick Aragorn's face. The Man would normally have pushed the animal off, but he was sort of glad to have a non-judgmental companion. It was relaxing; having someone there, yet not having to put on the mask of cool competence as befitting of the heir to the throne of Gondor. That feeling, however, brought Aragorn's thought back to the happy times with Lasgalen on their journey to Rivendell. Without realizing, his stormy grey eyes were once again moist with the beginnings of tears.  
  
These signs were not lost to Milo, who promptly stopped all motions of endearment and leapt off the Man. It drew itself to its full height of six inches, looking ready to battle as he barked, "Woff, wow, woo, wof, woof, woo, wow, woff, woof, woooo..." Translation: "Tell Milo who hurts Man. Will bite his butt." Yes, Milo was aware that kicking people's behinds would not be an effective attack given his stature. He was intelligent enough to know his teeth are much better weapons than his feet.   
  
"What's wrong, Milo?" asked the bewildered Man as he did not understand dog speech. Gifted as Aragorn might be, he was not an Elf and did not have the same kind of connection with nature.  
  
Any possibility of a meaningful conversation between the Man and dog was dashed when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Go away!"  
  
"Come on, Aragorn, open the door. I have something important to tell you about Yulion and Lasgalen," pleaded the Lòrien Elf.  
  
"I do not need to know any more than what I saw today, Haldir. Just leave me be," yelled the Man. Milo was beginning to get agitated as well. Noticing that his beloved wanted the visitor to leave, the dog started barking at the door, making rather obscene threats in his own tongue.  
  
"Aragorn, open this door at once. If not to hear me out, let me in to have a go with Elrohir's dog. The little mutt needs a lesson in manners," exclaimed a very indignant Guardian of Lòrien. He had never been so insulted in his life; and to receive such words from a dog, he would never be able to live it down if he did not punish the creature very severely.  
  
"What's going on?" asked the Lord of Rivendell. He could hear the noise from his library many corridors down. He already had a huge headache from the incident with Arwen's parrot; he did not need another problem with Elrohir's dog. Elrond was considering banning all pets from the palace from now on.  
  
The parrot Estel was dying. The critter had not eaten for three days ever since it was brought back to Arwen after its escape. It no longer talked or sang or responded in any way to external stimuli. If the bird were an Elf, Elrond would say it was dying of grief. But since it was not, the Elf- lord had no idea what ailed Arwen's pet. He had promised his daughter to examine it more closely.  
  
That was why Elrond was in the library, with a half-dead bird lying in a cage, consulting books on medicine for animals. The Lord of Rivendell might be a legendary healer, but he specialized in mammalian bipeds, namely Elves, Humans and Hobbits. Until today, he had never needed to extend his skills beyond the realm of the free peoples of Middle Earth. He decided that after he figured out what was wrong with Estel, he would find a way to mute Elrohir's dog.  
  
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Aragorn heard the annoyance in his foster father's voice. It was a rather rare occurrence and at such times, one must be extra careful. The Man knew his lover's temper was hereditary; and the Lord of Rivendell could be very intimidating when angered. Promptly, the human commander of the Joint Army opened his door.  
  
"Nothing," lied the Man.  
  
The annoyance in Elrond vanished as he saw his teary-eyed foster son opened the door. He had not seen human Estel fighting back tears since the boy was ten years old. Something was seriously wrong.  
  
"Estel, what's wrong? You can tell me," asked the Lord of Rivendell gently.  
  
"Nothing is wrong," replied Aragorn very quickly, looking at the floor.  
  
Elrond raised his brows at the Man and Haldir felt the need to explain. The Lòrien Elf knew the Elf-lord was against the affair between Arwen and his human foster son. He would be relieved to hear that Aragorn was attracted to another. In fact, Haldir was certain the ancient Elf would help with his cause of pushing the Man towards Legolas.  
  
"Aragorn likes this recruit at camp. But he thinks the Elf likes another. He is moping now," said the archer.  
  
"Haldir!" exclaimed a blushing Man. He did not want his foster father to know that he desired another when he was still dating Arwen.  
  
"I see. Does this Elf actually like another or does he return Estel's affections?" asked Elrond, curiosity piqued. It would be good news indeed if his human son loved another besides his daughter. If things continued between Arwen and Aragorn, he was sure that his headstrong daughter would give up her immortality for the future King of Men. The Elf-lord loved the Man like his own child and wanted happiness for Estel; but he would prefer not to lose his favorite daughter.  
  
"Lasgalen returns Aragorn's affections. It was all a misunderstanding. This other Elf drugged Lasgalen yesterday; he merely wanted to settle the score in person instead of having my human friend here interfere with his plotting," explained the Guardian of Lòrien.  
  
"That dark-haired Elf was the one who poisoned Lasgalen? You knew all along and you didn't tell me?" screamed the Man at his Elven friend.  
  
"You never asked. Besides, from the way you beat him up, I thought you knew already," smirked the archer.  
  
"You!" hissed Aragorn, not knowing whether to choke the Lòrien Elf or thank him. He now understood why Lasgalen was so angry with him on the field. His student saw warrior training as his one chance to show his worth to his family. Lasgalen did not want people to think he needed the Man's help in everything; he wanted to avenge himself with his own strength.  
  
"Now that everything seems fine with you, I should return to my parrot patient. The poor thing will not last much longer without treatment. Since it appears that my daughter will be losing one of her favorite beings to another, I should try to save the bird from death for her," said Elrond before heading off.  
  
"The parrot is dying?" asked Aragorn.  
  
"Yes, it won't eat or sleep. It just sits there motionless, staring out into a distance towards the recruits' barracks," replied the Elf-lord.  
  
"I think I know how to save it. If you give him to me for a couple of days, I will return him to you fully healed," said the Man.  
  
Elrond knew there was not much he could do for the bird until he did more research. There was no harm in leaving parrot Estel in human Estel's care for a bit. If he found any possible remedy, he could always come here and try it on the bird.  
  
"Okay, as long as you promise to keep it alive," replied Elrond as he headed back to the library to fetch the parrot.  
  
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"Now that everything is settled, I should go back to the training field. I am the archery instructor after all," said Haldir as he watched the Lord of Rivendell disappeared down the winding corridors of the palace after dropping off Estel the parrot. The Elf knew Legolas would be here soon and wanted to leave to give the couple more privacy.  
  
"I will go with you," offered the Man. He felt much better after hearing the truth. He wanted to stop by the gardens and pick some flowers for his Elf after practice. Aragorn felt a need to apologize to Lasgalen for his behavior and presumptions.  
  
"No!" cried the Lòrien Elf in alarm. It would not do for the Prince to come here to find an empty room.  
  
His cry brought Gimli and Legolas rushing towards the room. Actually, the Prince was still limping, he was just doing it very quickly.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.  
  
"Nothing at all, my friend. Let's go to practice and leave those two alone," said Haldir as he practically dragged Gimli out of the room.  
  
Milo too sensed that his beloved wanted some privacy and trotted off with his tail between his legs. The dog knew he did not have a chance with the Man, seeing the perfection of the Golden Elf. So it was, that Aragorn and Legolas were alone at last, ready to make amends and have a sincere discussion of their feelings and relationship. Oh, yeah, parrot Estel remained in the room, but he was in a cage and half-dead, so he did not count.   
  
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	15. chapter 15

Disclaimer: Don't own anything  
  
Please, please review.  
  
Ecstatic today. Two towers comes out tomorrow!! Going to midnight show =) Me going to see my Elf !! Too happy to write anything other than Never Been Kissed, so here is another chapter. It's kind of short though. Need to leave at a reasonable time for the show.  
  
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Chapter 15:  
  
The Man and Elf stared at each other for a long while, both determined to apologize for their behavior, but both unsure of how to begin. On more than one occasion, they would try to start speaking at the same time, which would invariably end in, "Umm... you go first" , "No... after you" , then "I...", before hesitating and falling into silence again.  
  
They waited so long that the half-dead Estel began to regain consciousness. In its disorientated state, it opened its eyes to find the image of its beloved in front of him, almost close enough to touch. Parrot Estel decided that it had died and was now in heaven. Valar had taken pity on him and put him in the care of an angel that resembled the golden Elf he loved. Strange though that its weakness remained after death, parrot Estel hoped it was not permanent for it would like to sing and dance vivaciously to please his angelic owner. Gathering its strength, the little bird let out a chirp, which brought both Aragorn's and Legolas' attention to its cage.  
  
"What happened to him?" asked Legolas as he opened the cage and took the small parrot out gently.  
  
"He is dying of grief. He loves you and misses you terribly," said Aragorn.  
  
"Poor thing," said the Prince as he stroked the bird's little head tenderly. Parrot Estel knew at that moment that he must be in animal heaven.  
  
"Yeah, I know how he feels, since I am in love with the same Elf," commented the Man.  
  
"Did you just say you are in love with me?" inquired the Prince timidly.  
  
"I, umm, I... Umm yes," stuttered Aragorn as he realized that he had casually said those words when he described parrot Estel's feelings. It was a strange coincidence that both Estels' hearts were captured by the same beautiful Elf.  
  
"Aragorn.." began Legolas.  
  
"Please don't say anything yet. There is something I must say before my courage runs out. I am really sorry for my behavior this morning. It's just that I care so much about you that I sometimes don't know what to do. I've never felt that way about anyone before," blurted out the Man.  
  
Aragorn was accustomed to making declarations of love; he was tall, dark and handsome and experienced in the ways of courtship. But this was different as he truly meant every word he spoke. The Man suddenly felt very vulnerable and decided he did not like the sensation one bit.  
  
"Aragorn, I was going to say that I love you too before you interrupted. I know I shouldn't, but I do. I don't know what to do either," confessed the Prince as he continued caressing Estel absent-mindedly.  
  
By now, the intelligent bird had figured out that he still lived and that it was in its beloved's hands. It was just using every ounce of his self- control to stay quiet and still so the Elf would not stop his administrations. And there was also the fact that he was too weak to move, but that's just a minor detail.   
  
"Oh, Lasgalen," exclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf into a tight embrace. Aragorn would have held his hands instead, but the Prince was stroking Estel. The Man was unsure if his student was object to the more intimate embrace, but he did not wish to squash his namesake either. His foster father would be so angry if anything happened to parrot Estel.  
  
The Elf was pliant in his arms, sighing softly as Aragorn hugged him. He would have wound his arms around the Man if he were not holding the poor little bird. They remained together for what seemed an eternity. When they finally parted, knowing there was still much else to discuss, both felt keen disappointment at the lost of the other's touch.  
  
"Aragorn, I really appreciate you trying to take care of me. But there are some things I need to do on my own," said the Elf.  
  
"I know. The truth is that I didn't attack Yulion because he drugged you. I didn't find out about that until later. I did it because I was jealous since you were looking at him so intently. You are right to say I should be better than that. I didn't know what came over me. I am sorry if my actions made you think I didn't believe in your abilities," confessed the Man.  
  
"I am not the one you should be apologizing to. I cannot believe you hurt Yulion out of jealousy," chastised the Prince at this shocking revelation.  
  
"I promise it won't happen again. And I will apologize to Yulion for my horrible behavior," pleaded the Man, wanting to please his Elf. Truth be told, he was not sorry for teaching the dark-haired recruit a lesson for tricking and drugging Lasgalen.  
  
"Alright, but if you ever act so rashly out of jealousy again, I won't forgive you for insulting my feelings for you. I am not someone who gives my affections easily," said the Elf as he gently laid down parrot Estel onto a cushioned chair.  
  
"You don't know how honored I am to have your affections, beautiful," replied the Man as he took Lasgalen's hand. When the Elf smiled at him, he beamed, thinking he had never been happier before.  
  
"Aragorn...." sighed the Prince as the Man leant into him and placed a wondering kiss upon his mouth. In response, Legolas parted his lips for his beloved, allowing Aragorn entry. Their tongues waltzed slowly as they explored each other's taste and touch. Parrot Estel watched with teary eyes as its beloved found comfort in the arms of another. Yet, it did not make a sound, not wanting to interrupt the lovers' kiss. It too could tell that the Man and Elf were perfect for each other, two parts of a whole.  
  
All too soon, Aragorn was forced to break the kiss for the need of breath. Still holding his beloved's exquisite azure eyes with a smoldering gaze, the Man reluctantly relinquished his claim on the Elf's delectable lips, now moist and slightly swollen from their shared passion. Legolas was the first to recover from the heart-melting kiss. As much as he hated to ruin the moment with his question, he had to ask.  
  
"What about Lady Arwen?"  
  
"I liked her, but what I feel for her can never compare to the love I feel for you. I will break up with her as soon as you are able to defend yourself. I do not want any harm to come to you should she blame you for my change of heart," replied Aragorn.  
  
"I suppose that means I better start practicing even harder," said the Elf with a brilliant smile.  
  
"Do you have any food for Estel?" asked Legolas, as he eyed the dying parrot. The Elf felt responsible for the poor creature's declining health. If he had not befriended the bird, it would be fading from grief.  
  
"Elrond put some sunflower seeds over by the cage," replied the Man, still holding onto the Elf's hand.  
  
"I don't think it's up to eating solid food on its own yet. Do you have some juice or porridge?" said the Prince, content to let Aragorn keep his hand for the time being.  
  
"No, but I will go get some," replied the Man, as he reluctantly let Lasgalen's hand go. He didn't really care much about the bird, but he wanted to bring something to eat for the slender Elf. He knew how horrible the food at camp was, which was why the ranking officers of the army always returned to the palace to get their meals. Aragorn figured his Elf could use some better tasting nutrition.  
  
"I can go with you," offered the Elf, as he found himself sorely missing the feeling of Aragorn's hand upon his own.  
  
"No, you rest. You need to recover as soon as possible. We have much to do before you can hold your own against Arwen. And I can barely wait to begin our official courtship," said the Man as he headed for the door.  
  
"So you think I am that hopeless?" whispered the Prince, thinking that Aragorn thought he was so pathetic he would not be able to defeat a girl in a fight for quite some time.  
  
"I don't mean that as an insult to your abilities, beautiful; but we are talking about an Elf maiden capable of giving Elrohir a severe beating. We don't want to take any chances," said the Man with a chuckle as he strode out of his chambers to the kitchens.  
  
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Legolas spent the entire day in the Man's rooms, nursing Estel, learning how to bandage wounds, being fed delicious fresh strawberries and getting his feet massaged by a very skilled Aragorn. The Prince could not remember being happier in his entire life. At nightfall, the Man walked him back to the barracks with parrot Estel in tow. Before they parted, Aragorn gave him yet another stunningly sweet kiss at the door.  
  
"I want you to rest for the next two days. We will begin our special training on Friday after the competition of skills," said the Man sternly after he broke their lip-lock.  
  
"As you wish, my lord," replied the Prince before opening the door.  
  
"Parting is such sweet sorrow that I can say goodnight till tomorrow, my beautiful Elf."  
  
Legolas gave the Man a final smile and whispered, "Till tomorrow, my lord," before slipping silently into his room.  
  
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As soon as the Elf closed the door, he began to hum a joyous tune as he walked to his desk to put down the cage that held Estel.  
  
"I trust.... what is that blasted bird doing here?!" cried Gimli. He meant to say "I trust that things went well", but was so dismayed to see his opponent from his first night at camp again that he lost his train of thoughts. As fond of Legolas as the Dwarf was, there was no way the parrot was staying here with them! Gimli would rather die.   
  
"Estel is dying. He is just staying with us until he gets better," replied the Prince calmly.  
  
"We cannot keep him here, it is against the rules," reasoned the Dwarf.  
  
"It's okay, Aragorn put him in my care. We will not get into trouble for it," said the Elf as he opened the cage and took out the bird.  
  
"No! You can either have it as roommate or me! I will not sleep under the same roof as that thing," exclaimed Gimli.  
  
"Gimli, please. Estel is sorry for any trouble he caused earlier. He is going to die if you make me give it up," pleaded Legolas with his sweetest, most irresistible, honey-coated voice.  
  
On cue, the parrot let out a weak chirp and attempted to rise from the Prince's hand as if trying to reach for the Dwarf. The Elf moved so Estel could nuzzle against his friend's large calloused hand without having to overexert itself. Gimli still did not like the bird, even if it did look very cute and its green feathers felt soft to the touch. But he had to admit it would be too cruel to throw the creature out to die, especially since it seemed so apologetic for attacking him three nights ago. And there was the way Legolas was looking at him with those beautiful puppy-dog eyes. He really did not have the heart to refuse his friend such a small request. "Alright, but only until he recovers."  
  
"Oh thank you!!" said the excited Elf as he hugged the Dwarf. The Prince was careful not to close his hand as Estel still rested in his palm. Gimli had no doubt that if other Dwarves were to witness this scene, he would be the laughing stalk of his people for all eternity. They would say the son of Gloin had gone soft, no longer the great warrior he once was. But frankly when the Dwarf saw how happy Legolas was, he could not care less what the others said. Protecting his innocent friend was all that truly mattered.  
  
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"Where did you go?" asked Elladan as he saw the Man returned to the palace.  
  
"A walk," replied Aragorn casually.  
  
"Alone?" asked the younger twin.  
  
"With Lasgalen, if you must know," said the Man.  
  
"You promised to give us two weeks," accused the elder twin.  
  
"I said I won't break up with Arwen for another two weeks. I didn't say I will not go out with Lasgalen," answered Aragorn.  
  
"That Elf is hiding something, I can feel it," said Elrohir.  
  
"So you keep saying, but do you have proof?" retorted Aragorn, now getting annoyed. He was a grown Man, leader of the Dunedans in the North. Why couldn't his foster brothers let him take care of his own personal life?  
  
"No, we don't have proof. But I know he is no ordinary Elf. Common Elves do not have that sort of composure," said Elladan.  
  
"Well, at least that's something we agree on. But just because Lasgalen is gorgeous, smart and exceptionally gifted doesn't mean he is hiding something. You two are too cynical from your old age," said Aragorn, dismissing the twins' worries with a smile.  
  
"One more thing, you don't have to worry about my break-up with Arwen. It seems that ada approves of my decision. But I will wait until Lasgalen can protect himself. He wants to fight his own battles and I respect that," added the Man before continuing on his way back to his rooms, humming a happy song along the way.  
  
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	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Don't own anything  
  
Yeah, this chapter is abnormal, because it is written with less than 3 hours of sleep and when I am a hyperactive dose of Elf fix from Two Towers. Sorry in advance since this is not funny and is a little weird.  
  
A/N: Oh yeah, if people have seen two towers, think of Yulion's debate as the quiet version of Gollum's in the movie =)  
  
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Chapter 16:  
  
Yulion missed the first competition of skills due to his injuries from his practice match with Aragorn. The dark-haired Elf was more than a little annoyed since he saw that as an opportunity to impress his Elven commanders. He knew there was little he could do to change the Man's view of him after what he did to Lasgalen.  
  
Lasgalen.....Now that's a name that brought even more confusion to the already irritated Yulion. He still thought the blond Elf was a ditsy klutz, but Lasgalen was also kind, brave and very, very beautiful. Despite what Yulion had done, the fair-haired recruit stopped Aragorn from further injuring him. He even took the dark-haired Elf's side against their human commander.  
  
The recruit from Rivendell knew it could possibly be a ploy to gain his friendship and popularity among the other Elves, but Lasgalen did not seem the type capable of such scheming. The golden Elf had the most expressive sapphire eyes Yulion had ever seen; and the fair-haired beauty's compassion shone through brightly as he helped him off the field two days ago.  
  
Stop this train of thought right now. The blond is Aragorn's lover. You will only get yourself killed liking him, commanded the voice of reason in Yulion's head.  
  
But Aragorn is known to have many lovers. Lasgalen is just one more. The one the Man is truly courting is Lady Arwen, countered the side of the dark-haired Elf that had taken a liking to the Prince.  
  
Even if Aragorn dumps him, he won't consider you. You tricked and drugged him, remember? replied its antagonist half smugly, as it knew it had raised an argument that the irrational side of Yulion could not ignore.  
  
But he helped me on the field, maybe he has forgiven me, hoped the love- struck part, turning mentally puppy-eyed.  
  
You don't listen well. He said he wants to settle the score between the two of you in person. He saved you because he didn't want his lover to interfere, pointed out the rational voice, snickering at its counterpart for its love-induced hearing impediment.  
  
The Elf's mental debate was interrupted when his friend, Acamalion, burst into his room.  
  
"What is it?" asked Yulion impatiently as he spun round to face his friend, demanding a reason for the intrusion.  
  
"I thought you might be interested in the scores of the competitions; judge who might challenge you for the squadron leader position," said Acamalion standing at the door as he could sense the annoyance from his popular friend. He knew his visit was not welcomed.  
  
"I am not worried at all, actually. I have been watching everyone at practice and no one even comes close to my level," commented the dark- haired Elf with disinterest. He was much more keen on deciding what to do about his strange attraction to the blond Elf.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose you are right," said the other recruit sheepishly. Acamalion knew not to get on Yulion's bad side; the result would likely be joining his friend for a few days of bed rest. "So how are you doing?"  
  
"I should be able to resume training in two days if I get enough rest," replied Yulion, as he flopped lazily on the bed. It was not that he was tired; the Elf was just trying to send a not so subtle hint to Acamalion that it was time to leave.  
  
"Alright, I guess I will just leave you be then," said the other Elf as he walked out of his friend's room, glad that Yulion was too injured to do anything bad to him.  
  
However, the dark-haired Elf did not rest. He continued with his internal debate over the course of action concerning Lasgalen until sleep overtook him many hours later.  
  
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"So what are we doing tonight?" asked Legolas. This was the first night of his special training under Aragorn. For the past two days, the Elf had thought of nothing else besides getting ready for the exercises. He wanted to do well not only to please his instructor but also to accelerate the process of becoming a capable warrior. As much as he trusted Aragorn's feelings for him, he could not help wishing the Man would stop seeing Arwen. It did not sit well with the Prince's royal blood that he should be his commander's lover in the shadows.  
  
"You are a very fast learner, but skills alone will not take you far without the necessary stamina to finish a fight. We work on physical conditioning exclusively for now. I want you to run through this obstacle course I set for you here," replied Aragorn as he pointed out a myriad of narrow planks and ropes put together precariously to form the route.  
  
Legolas gulped as he eyed the seemingly unsteady terrain. Though an Elf, the youngest Prince of Mirkwood had never developed his innate sense of balance that all Elves possessed. He could walk on ropes, but only very slowly and only if they were secured very steadily on both sides; which the ropes of the official training course were, luckily for Legolas and Gimli. After all, the young Elf's life consisted of sitting in his library or going to speak with important Elves, neither of which required balance. But he trusted the Man; he knew Aragorn would not allow any harm to come to him. If his commander told him to run through the course, it must be safe enough to hold his weight. He just needed to be a little more careful.  
  
Gathering his courage, he leapt onto the first plank at the beginning of the obstacle course. Much to his chagrin, the flimsy wood swayed with the addition of his weight, causing him to lose balance and fell back onto the floor. "Ai!"  
  
"Get up and try it again," commanded the Man as he crossed his arms, watching the fallen Elf.  
  
Legolas was very surprised that his lover did not try to help him up. He imagined Aragorn would be running to him by now, checking him for injuries. Why was the Man behaving so stern towards him? When he looked up at his commander's face, he found impatience and judgment at his inabilities, rather than compassion. The Elf felt more than a bit hurt and very inadequate when Aragorn watched him this way. But the Prince quickly convinced himself that the Man was being strict with him to ensure the quality of his training. He would probably never get better if he was pampered and looked after all the time.  
  
Determined, Legolas rose and leapt onto the narrow board again, this time, shifting his body weight to counteract the movement of the plank. When he stood steady upon the swaying wood, he began to cautiously walk across to the rope ladder that he was supposed to climb to reach the next section.  
  
"Faster. You would be dead if this were a real battle. Orcs archers might not have the best aim, but if you stay up there that long, some of the arrows are bound to hit you," shouted Aragorn, sounding every bit like a very demanding commander of the army, harsh enough to make the Elf shudder in his tracks. Legolas wondered where the gentle loving Man that kissed him goodnight two days ago had gone.  
  
In response to his commander's demands, the Prince tried to hurry across the unstable platform, only to find himself losing footing and falling off once again onto his back. Except that this time, he fell from a greater height since the plank had an incline. His back ached from the impact and his head was spinning when he rose to sitting position. Before he could shake his head to clear it, he heard Aragorn's command. "Again. No resting until you finish the course once."  
  
Grudgingly, the Prince complied. He could barely keep the contents of his stomach down when he stood and began the obstacle course anew. In his weakened condition, it was not long before the Elf fell again, this time from the rope ladder. Legolas did not have the upper body strength to support his weight for the climb. Once more, he was greeted by the Man's harsh voice demanding that he got up and began again.  
  
Forcing himself onto his feet by sheer will, the golden Elf leapt onto the start of the course once more. Legolas was determined to finish the obstacle training. If he could not even do this shorter version of the actual route, there was no hope for his defeating Yulion at the competition of skills. He had told Aragorn to trust him and let him fight his own battle. The Man was respecting his wishes and helping him reached his goals; he would not give up so easily.  
  
With single-minded determination, the Prince ran across the swaying plank. He was almost entirely up the rope ladder when a gust of wind suddenly arrived, jerking the rope violently. The Elf attempted to maintain his grip, but the wind proved too much a match for the fatigued Prince. Without warning, Legolas was blown off the rope and began to fall.  
  
Everything happened so suddenly that the Man did not have enough time to move into position to catch the Elf. Aragorn had designed the course such that all the higher sections rested above a muddy area where the ground was soft. He wanted to be strict with Lasgalen since he knew the Elf would benefit most from a stern mentor. He wanted his student to do everything on his own. But because of the high winds, his beloved was blown away the underlying soft grounds to fall upon the hard forest floor. There was naught Aragorn could do except mutter a prayer to Elbereth as he rushed in vain towards the falling Elf.  
  
But just before the moment of impact, a shadow moved out of the forest and caught Legolas before he hit the ground. The Man should be glad that his prayers were answered and that his Elf was unharmed, except that he was not. Aragorn was seething as the mystery rescuer turned out to be Yulion. Though Lasgalen told the Man that Aragorn alone held his affections, seeing the dark-haired recruit holding his student, smiling at the golden Elf like a hero to a damsel-in-distress, still incensed the Man greatly.  
  
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Yulion could not find much rest in the land of sleep. His dilemma over his feelings for Lasgalen plagued his dreams as it did his waking thoughts. When the Elf finally decided to exit his uneasy sleep, he thought a walk through the forest would help clear his mind. What he did not expect was to find Aragorn giving the blond special training. Yulion was curious to see how his human commander planned to transform a hopeless klutz like Lasgalen into a warrior. Quietly, the dark-haired Elf crept up to the edge of the obstacle course to get a better view of the proceedings.  
  
Yulion was surprised to find the Man so harsh on the fair-haired Elf. Aragorn was harsher with Lasgalen than he was with the other recruits during normal training. But that was not astonished the dark-haired recruit the most. It was the Prince's determination and persistence that touched him.  
  
Instead of giving up or calling to his human lover to stop the training for a rest, Lasgalen endured the Man's harsh criticism and went back to improve his performance with each try at the course. Yulion knew that though the ground was soft, but the falls were not without their effects. Yet, after each fall, his fellow trainee was able to surpass his previous efforts through sheer determination despite his weakening physical condition. Even the dark-haired Elf's pragmatic side could not help being impressed.  
  
His appraisal was abruptly interrupted when a gust of wind blew the Prince off the rope ladder. The Elf knew Aragorn could never reach Lasgalen in time. Without thought to the consequences, Yulion leapt out of the shadows to catch the falling Prince in his arms.  
  
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"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes," replied Legolas with a weak smile. His entire body ached and he was in the arms of someone who had tricked and drugged him before. But he was not going to let himself show weakness in front of Aragorn or Yulion. "Thanks," added the Prince as he left the supporting arms of the dark- haired Elf.  
  
"Don't mention it. I remember hearing you say that you wish to settle our score in person. I am rather looking forward to it. It will not do to have you fall and break something and delay our match," replied Yulion as he started to turn away to hide a blush, among other things. Lasgalen smelled nice, even after falling into the mud three times. That added a hint of the great outdoors to the Elf's seductive orchid scent. He could definitely get used to the idea of holding the golden Elf close all the time.  
  
As soon as those words left his mouth, his love-struck side chastised him, This is the most stupid excuse I have ever heard. You should at least apologize for drugging him!   
  
His musing was interrupted by Legolas' melodic voice, "I will try not to make you wait too long."  
  
"Good," said the dark-haired Elf as he turned towards Lasgalen to offer a charming smile before disappearing into the forest.  
  
When Legolas smiled in return at the vanishing form of his savior, the Man had recovered enough from shock and jealousy to speak. "If you will bring your attention back to the present, you have an obstacle course to finish. You will never amount to anything if you keep losing focus like that."  
  
"Why are you like this? I know you are trying to help, but you don't have to insult me at every turn. Can't you see I am trying my best?" asked the Prince, frustrated at his beloved's harsh words and cold treatment. He could not see Aragorn trying to reach him when he fell. All he knew was he landed in Yulion's arms and had assumed the Man did not try to catch him, like his three previous falls. The Elf might want to fight his own battles, but he expected the Man to keep him safe, to watch his back. All Aragorn had done so far was yelled at him.  
  
"If you cannot even endure the rigor of such a small obstacle course, I can see that I am wasting my time with this special training," replied Aragorn, still angry from the smiles his Elf had given Yulion. Jealousy was something new to the Man; and was thus, something he could not control. Feigning nonchalance, Aragorn turned and walked away, leaving the lone Elf on the field.  
  
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Legolas could not believe what the Man had just said to him. How could Aragorn say such things only two days after they professed their feelings for each other? And for the Man to walk away as if he had nothing at stake so soon after he told the Prince he could hardly wait to court him officially? Why? Silent tears began to flow, as the Elf's knees gave, leaving him a trembling mass on the forest floor.  
  
It was in this state that Gimli and Estel found their roommate. The parrot had almost completely recovered from his grief in the past two days due to Legolas' gentle care. The bird, realizing its beloved's friendship with the Dwarf, decided that it too would be friends with his former foe. It would greet Gimli every time he returned from training.  
  
The Dwarf's attitude towards the cute little parrot had softened by its efforts to please. And when Estel learnt to repeat a Dwarf drinking song that Gimli had sung to amuse Legolas, the gruff warrior was completely won over. So it was that the Dwarf decided to take his new friend, parrot Estel, to visit Legolas in special training.  
  
Both Dwarf and bird were upset to find the Prince crying on the floor and Aragorn nowhere in sight. This was not supposed to happen. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," replied Legolas as he tried to wipe off his tears.  
  
"You do not cry over nothing," commented the Dwarf softly. Gimli was sure this had to do with his human commander. He could never understand how the Man could be so dense. Legolas was beautiful, gentle, smart, a good cook, everything a Man could ever desire. Yet instead of counting his blessings, Aragorn continued to make the golden Prince cry. Gimli had thought the Man would be the one to protect the Elf from harm, but it would seem that he was mistaken. In Gimli's mind, he was thinking he should never have trusted a human to do a Dwarf's job. As unhappy as he was with Aragorn, Gimli respected his friend's privacy; he did not want to prod if the Elf did not wish to disclose the details of what had happened.  
  
"Estel bad," cried parrot Estel as he flapped his wings agitatedly. No, it's not talking about itself. The intelligent bird knew that human Estel had hurt its beloved. It wanted to get out of the cage and teach its namesake not to make Legolas sad again. When it saw how perfectly the Man and Elf fit together, it trusted its human counterpart to take care of the Elven beauty. But the Man had failed. In Estel's mind, it was making a note on how one should never trust a human to do a parrot's job.   
  
"It's not his fault, little one," muttered the Prince as he rose and reached into the parrot's cage to pat Estel gently on its head to calm the enraged bird. "I am just not good enough."  
  
"Nonsense, I saw your improvements in sword practice with only two days of training. One would be blind to not see your talents, Legolas," comforted Gimli as he offered an encouraging pat on the Elf's legs.  
  
"Maybe you are just going about this all wrong," commented Haldir's voice from a distance.  
  
The Guardian too was curious as to how special training went with the couple. He knew Aragorn had a reputation of being a very tough mentor; he could not help worrying now that the Man's mind was set on shaping the Prince into a capable warrior within a month. Legolas had never seen the stubborn, demanding side of his beloved commander. Haldir had hoped Aragorn had the sense to know being harsh on the Elf would only hurt the Prince's feelings, not help him build the confidence an accomplished fighter would need. Apparently, the Man was too dense to see that. In Haldir's mind, he noted that one should never trust a human to do an Elf's job.  
  
"Aragorn is a great mentor, but he does not know you as I do. He does not know how to use your strengths in this training session. Now instead of jumping onto the course and running through it right away, I want you to study it for a while."  
  
For the first time in the night, the Prince was not rushed into starting the course; instead he was asked to do what he did best. The Elf analyzed the obstacles to map out the fastest and easiest way through and evaluated the possible risks associated with the projected route. Within five minutes, Legolas was convinced he had found the tricks necessary to pass through the unstable terrain without falling.  
  
"Now, try it," urged Haldir with a smile. The Guardian had been watching the tactical advisor of Mirkwood study the obstacle course. He knew from the Prince's slight smile that he had found a way through. It was time for Legolas to see how it was possible to use his intelligence to compliment physical prowess.  
  
Instead of jumping onto the plank and trying to keep balance, the golden Elf leapt higher to grab a hold of a higher rope, swinging himself onto the swaying platform with relative ease. Still holding onto the rope for balance, he waited for a second for the board to still; once the motion stopped, Legolas raced towards the end as fast as he could. Because of the swiftness of the light-weighted Elf's movements, the platform did not start rocking until the Prince was close to the other end. This was, of course, anticipated; Legolas leapt forward to grab the rope ladder to steady himself. Instead of climbing the rope, the Prince used it as a swing to propel his slight frame onto a higher platform.  
  
As expected, the plank shook when Legolas landed. The Elf knew his weakness was in keeping his footing, so he opted to dive onto the board to hold onto it with his hands. He knew that was the only sure way to prevent falling. When the swaying platform steadied, Legolas slowly stood and repeated his scheme of rushing forward at top speed to the next thing that could be used as to maintain balance.  
  
After a few more rocking planks, the Prince soon found that he had adjusted to the motion and could keep his footing, relying minimally on the support of ropes and higher planks. Sooner than he anticipated, Legolas finished the obstacle course without falling once.  
  
"I know you can do it lad," exclaimed an excited Gimli who rushed to embrace the Elf. Estel, still in its cage, flapped his wings joyously and started humming a happy song.  
  
"See, you are good enough. You just have to remember that using your head and being a capable warrior are not mutually exclusive. An intelligent fighter is always better than a brute without a brain," commented Haldir as he patted his friend on the back. "Do you think you can repeat that a couple more times tonight?"  
  
"Sure thing, Haldir," said Legolas with a small laugh before rushing to the obstacle course once more. For the first time in these three days, since he made his vow to defeat Yulion fairly in a competition of skills, the Prince could see his hopes becoming real possibilities. 


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. And Happy New Year to all my readers =)  
  
A/N: I have starved myself of Two Towers for a week, which is slowly making it possible to get my feet back on the ground. So, I will start work again my serious things. Writing this first because I want to post something before New Year to let people know I am still alive =) My angsty fictions are beta-ed so will not be out before 2003.  
  
Gave one of my favorite Legolas lines in Two Towers to Haldir, sorry =)  
  
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Chapter 17:  
  
Legolas felt wondrous sore after his nightly exertions. It had been a week since he began special training under Haldir. He spent each night running through various obstacle courses, shooting arrows and learning how to fight with swords and Lòrien hunting knives. In fact, since the Guardian of Lòrien was sparring with Gimli to show the Prince how to fight, Legolas had picked up the fundamentals of wielding an axe as well. He still remembered not knowing to be flattered or insulted when Gimli stated that the Elven Prince must have been a Dwarf in the wrong body, looking at him the way a proud parent regarded his favorite child.  
  
Usually, the young Elf was so exhausted after special training that he under-performed during normal training in the day. It was fine with the Prince for he did not wish to show his fellow recruits his true abilities yet. He wished for them to underestimate him; it would make winning his way through the elimination rounds to the final match with Yulion easier in the swords competition.  
  
Legolas knew that he did not have a chance at beating the dark-haired Elf in the obstacle course race; after all, he had to stay back to keep an eye of Gimli. The Dwarf had done so much for him, offering support and friendship when none would. Nothing could make the Prince leave his roommate behind. At the same time, he was quite confident that he could win the archery contest. The young Elf had surpassed the Guardian of Lòrien in bow skills just the night before. All his arrows hit the center of the target and he actually managed to split his arrows at the bulls-eye. Even Haldir was impressed and proclaimed him to be a natural shot. After the compliment, the older Elf taught Legolas how to make arrows. The poor Prince spent the whole night replenishing those he destroyed. He decided that no matter what happened, he would not split his arrows again, even if it meant losing to Lòrien Elf.   
  
This left the overall winner of the competition of skills to be determined by the sword-fighting match. The Prince knew that despite his special training, his stamina still left much to be desired. That was why he had deliberately played the slacker during normal practice, leading others to believe he was not a threat. In addition, it gave him time to observe his dark-haired opponent. Tomorrow would be the day he proved himself worthy.  
  
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It had been a week since he walked out on Lasgalen in the middle of special training. Aragorn's anger still had not abated. It normally would have since it was extremely difficult to stay angry with the beautiful, sweet, golden Elf. However, his student had given the Man a cause for jealousy every single day he walked onto the field. The recruit was watching Yulion all the time during practice. He knew Lasgalen told him that he wanted only to best the dark-haired Elf, but that was before Yulion saved him from a very nasty fall. Aragorn knew first-hand how easy it was for people to fall for the strong hero who came to their rescue. That was how he got a significant portion of his experience in the area of bodily pleasures. He could not help but wonder if Lasgalen harbored some affection for the Rivendell Elf.  
  
Haldir came to demand that Aragorn apologize to the young Elf a week ago. The Guardian told him that Lasgalen had been through warrior training once and that the harsher conventional methods would not help the young recruit reached his full potential. Still extremely irritated, the Man retorted that anyone who could not even withstand the rigors of training had no business being involved in the rage of war.  
  
Aragorn had never seen an Elf other than his foster family angry; that night he was privileged to the very rare sight of an incensed Guardian of Lòrien. Haldir basically told him to stay away from Lasgalen from now on and that he could not believe he once thought Aragorn would be the one to make his Elven friend happy in very colorful language. At that point in time, the Man was too annoyed to care; but now when he thought back on it, Aragorn suspected he lost one of his most powerful allies in winning Lasgalen as his rightful mate.  
  
The Man had not spoken his Elf for the entire week; the situation was becoming unbearable. Lasgalen had been ignoring him and watching that dark- haired recruit. If Aragorn had not promised that he would not hurt Yulion again, he would have challenged the Elf for a rematch. But a promise was a promise; the heir to the throne of Gondor could not go back on his word. He also wanted to march up to his student and claim those rosy lips in front of the entire camp to let everyone know that Lasgalen was taken. But he feared that his Elf would suffer repercussions for the kiss if words were to reach Arwen. In addition, he had a feeling that Lasgalen would be even angrier with him if he were to force a kiss upon the young Elf. He had experience with that first-hand.  
  
Aragorn considered approaching his Elf to talk, but he knew an apology would be expected. But since he trained all his soldiers the same way and he was only trying to help Lasgalen become a warrior, the Man was convinced he had done nothing wrong. Maybe walking out on his student was a little harsh, but what was he supposed to do when his Elf was smiling so sweetly at Yulion as if he was not there? He could not just ignore it and act as if nothing was wrong. If anything, he had a right to be annoyed, not the other way around. Lasgalen should be the one coming to him!  
  
If Aragorn had not angered his allies, namely Haldir and Gimli, he was sure they could talk the Elven recruit into coming to him. But since both Lòrien Elf and Dwarf no longer considered him a suitable match with Lasgalen, the Man knew the chances of the golden Elf making the first move was minimal. So it was that the Man was at a loss of what to do, except to stew in his own continuous jealous rage, wondering if his Elf had fallen for another.  
  
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Yulion could feel eyes on him ever since he began training again. He also knew it was Lasgalen watching. He wondered if the blond Elf was interested in him as a possible partner. It was easy to see that things were not going well between Aragorn and Lasgalen. When he returned to spy on the golden Prince's special training after the first night, he was greeted by one of the arrows from the Guardian of Lòrien. The shaft hit only a few millimeters from his feet. Somehow, Haldir had taken over as the golden Elf's mentor. As much as the dark-haired Elf wished to watch Lasgalen trained, he did not wander into that part of the woods again, knowing the older Elf would sense him and make good of his threat of forcing Yulion to miss another competition of skills.   
  
The optimistic part of the Rivendell Elf was telling him he had a chance. The pessimistic part was stating that Lasgalen was up to something. Regardless, Yulion decided he would not waste the opportunity of showing off for the golden Elf. The dark-haired recruit could not remember a time when he fought as hard in the training match. On some levels, he was beginning to feel sorry for Acamalion, his training partner, who was straining to keep up and not get beaten up severely. Quietly, Yulion decided that he would make it up to his friend later, after he won the young beauty's affections.  
  
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"So what are we doing tonight?" asked an excited Legolas, eager to make final preparations for the competitions tomorrow.  
  
"Nothing physical, just meditation," replied Haldir as he slowly strolled to join the Prince, Gimli and parrot Estel.  
  
"But shouldn't we make some special preparations for tomorrow?" asked the younger Elf, frowning at the thought of spending the night thinking.  
  
"Meditation? You Elves are so strange," commented Gimli, who could never understood how the fair creatures could just stand still and stare into a distance for hours thinking. Dwarves were never so patient.  
  
Parrot Estel too wanted to make his comment, but it was in response to Gimli's calling its beloved strange. The bird found it insulting that anyone should call the golden Elf such a thing. Carefully choosing words from his limited vocabulary, Estel cried, "Stupid Dwarf!" It learnt that from Haldir when Gimli interrupted training one of these nights thinking the new obstacle course the archer designed was impossible for Legolas. Of course, the Prince persisted and, in the end, found a way to finish the route.   
  
"Estel, remember you are living with us. I can toss you out if you do not behave," retorted an angry Gimli. It was just an empty threat; the Dwarf was too fond of the little green bird to throw it out. But Estel did not know that. And the parrot certainly needed to learn some manners and to never insult a Dwarf again. If the bird said that to any other Dwarven warriors, it would be dead within a second. In a way, Gimli was doing this for parrot Estel's own good.  
  
At the threat of forced separation from its beloved Elf, parrot Estel immediately quieted. In fact, it stopped all movements and hid its head in shame. The bird knew it could not survive another parting with Legolas.  
  
"It's time to get started. I want you to close your eyes and tell me what you hear in the woods around us," instructed Haldir as he held up his hand to make sure both Gimli and Estel stopped their bantering.  
  
"I could hear Gimli breathe," replied Legolas, as he opened his eyes again.  
  
"Try again. This time use not only your ears, free your mind and allow nature to embrace you," prompted the Guardian of Lòrien with an encouraging smile before asking the younger Elf to close his eyes again.  
  
Long moments passed in silence before the Prince spoke. "The wind ... The sound of water flowing... the falls in Rivendell and the river.....Wait a minute, the trees, I can hear the trees!! They are telling me there will be a storm tomorrow!"  
  
"Very good, you are a wood Elf, my Prince. The ability to sense the warnings of nature was particularly strong in your blood. To sense danger in advance is a very important skill for an Elven warrior. Most fighters develop this ability slowly through experience; but it is possible to accelerate the learning process using meditation exercises. I can only guide you; but it is entirely up to you to make best use of this special training to hone your senses. Shall we begin in earnest?"  
  
"Well, I think it will be better if we are not here to distract our friend. We will return to camp now. And Haldir, don't forget to let Legolas off early tonight. He will need his strength tomorrow," said Gimli as he began to walk back to their room with Estel in tow. As much as he liked the Prince, there was no way the Dwarf would stay and watch Legolas stand around immobile with eyes closed the entire night.  
  
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The day of the second competition of skills had finally come. Legolas was well rested for the occasion, as Haldir had sent him back to sleep after three hours of special meditation exercises. He would be excited if he did not know it was going to rain. He hoped the storm would not be so bad that they had to cancel the events.  
  
The competition was held in the reverse order of their usual training routine. First would be the obstacle course, then the archery target match and finally the sword-fighting competition. The Prince knew he needed to save his strength for the latter two events; he fully intended to finish close to last for the obstacle portion of the competition.  
  
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As the recruits convened at the starting lines, the commanders bade them to be careful before waving the flag to begin the race. Aragorn was more nervous than any of the trainees. He was more than a bit worried for Lasgalen since obstacle courses were his Elf's weakest suit. He knew that even with special training, stamina could not be built within a week. It took constant physical conditioning to develop the endurance befitting an Elven warrior.  
  
Besides, the Man had not gone to see the young recruit's nightly exercises. From his observation in normal training, Aragorn feared that Lasgalen would be unable to complete the route at all within the time limit. If the young Elf failed to finish within two hours, he would not be allowed to continue onto the other portions of the competition.. More than once for the past week, Aragorn found himself wandering towards the woods where Lasgalen trained. But every time, he stopped himself before he got too close since he knew Haldir would sense him.  
  
Though Aragorn did not fear the Guardian of Lòrien, he preferred not to make yet another enemy among the ranking officers. The twins were already mad at him for opting for Lasgalen over Arwen; he did not need Haldir's animosity as well. The older Elf had suddenly turned over-protective over his student the way Gimli was. Confrontation was guaranteed if the Guardian caught the Man spying before he apologized to Lasgalen, which Aragorn was still stubbornly refusing to do.  
  
But as he watched his student and Gimli lagged behind the other Elves rather significantly so early on in the race, the Man could not help having a bad feeling. In addition, even Aragorn was beginning to notice the darkening skies that signified a storm. No matter what happened between himself and Lasgalen, Aragorn would die before he allowed his Elf to get wounded again. Quietly, he slipped away from the twins and Haldir to follow his Elf at the edge of the woods. He would be there for Lasgalen if the golden beauty required his assistance.  
  
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Aragorn's disappearance was not lost on the Elven ranking officers. "Maybe we should just disqualify that blond Elf. We can never be sure whether our foster brother is helping him or not," remarked Elladan as he crossed his arms, obviously not please at all at Aragorn's behavior.  
  
"Lasgalen would never accept Aragorn's help in the competition. If he did, he would tell us and withdraw from the competition himself," retorted Haldir, annoyed at the apparent animosity the twins had towards his friend.  
  
Haldir was really angry with Aragorn for hurting the Prince's feelings and refusing to apologize. But the Lòrien had calmed somewhat since that night a week ago. And now, seeing his human friend sneaked off to keep an eye on the golden Elf, Haldir decided that the Man was just stubborn and stupid. With lots of help, Aragorn should be able to learn to understand Legolas and treat him with the proper care. After all, the Man knew nothing of the Prince's true background and sensitivities. He could not truly blame Aragorn for being unsympathetic and callous of the younger Elf's need for encouragement in place of harsh training.  
  
The elder twin was about to continue the argument when his younger brother put a restraining hand on him. Through a special mental link shared by all Elven twins, Elrohir spoke in his brother's mind. "Haldir is in league with the blond. He knows a lot more than he is willing to admit."  
  
"You think we can get him to talk?" inquired a curious Elladan.  
  
The twins had been asking around for information concerning the fair- haired trainee for the past week. But no one could give them any useful details since Lasgalen kept to the Dwarf's and Haldir's companion almost exclusively. They knew it was not deliberate on the blonde's part, since he had become the laughing stock of the entire camp ever since the first day of training.  
  
But this made it very difficult for the two of them to discover the golden Elf's true identity. They were considering consulting their father or Lord Glorfindel as a last resort. The twins were sure Lasgalen was someone of importance; the ancient Elves might have met him before in some sort of council. However, they did not wish to bother the two Elf-lords unless they had no other choice. Both Elladan and Elrohir knew how busy the Lords of Imladris were and how irritable they got when interrupted.  
  
"Don't know. We will need a really good plan though. Haldir is a tricky one," replied Elrohir as he mentally stroked his chin to try to devise a trap for the unsuspecting Guardian of Lòrien.  
  
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The storm could not have come at a more inopportune time. Legolas and Gimli were half way through the obstacle course when rain began to pour. The Prince's balance had improved drastically since he began training, but his friend's had not. Dwarves were not made to walk on ropes or jump around on trees. With the slippery conditions, the Elf found it necessary to rush back to Gimli's side to prevent the Dwarf from falling on many occasions. At this rate, Legolas was not sure if he could finish the race in two hours.  
  
Seeing his friend's worried expression as the Elf gazed out into a distance towards the finish line, Gimli said, "You go ahead. I will be fine." But even speaking was enough to distract the Dwarf enough into losing balance under the terrible weather. He was barely able to finish his sentence before his left foot slipped on the wet branch.  
  
"No, I am not leaving you here in the rain. We both know you cannot do this without me," argued the Elf, as he once again materialized beside the Dwarf to steady him.  
  
"I take offense in that presumption," exclaimed Gimli, pretending to be angry as he tried to shrug off the Prince's hand. But the movement sent the Dwarf, who was precariously balanced on the narrow branch, tumbling forward. He would have fallen if Legolas had not caught the back of his armor in time. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. I do want to win the competition today, but I don't want it enough that I am willing to leave a good friend like you out here alone. We do this together, or we don't do it at all," said the Prince as he began to guide the Dwarf through the trees by the hand.  
  
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Aragorn watched from afar, feeling so proud of his Elf that he decided he would take the first step to make amends to Lasgalen as soon as the race was over. He still did not think he did anything wrong, but the Man would do anything to keep this special Elf by his side. It was not every day that one found someone who was so beautiful inside and out. Since Aragorn was lucky enough to meet Lasgalen and held his affections, he was not about to let his stubbornness or jealousy interfere with his plans to take the Elf as rightful mate. Before, he had been attracted by the golden one's beauty, intelligence, innocence and compassion; now the Elf's loyalty and strength were added onto the list of wonderful qualities that enthralled the Man. Isildur's heir knew, at that moment, without a doubt, that Lasgalen was the best possible consort he could ever have by his side when he reclaims the throne of Gondor.  
  
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"Time is almost up," smirked Elrohir, glad that the blond and the Dwarf was still nowhere in sight. He knew Aragorn was already besotted with Lasgalen as was; if the fair-haired Elf were to become a capable warrior, nothing would stop the Man from making a horrible mistake that would undoubtedly leave him heartbroken. Though the twins did not have proof, they were sure Lasgalen was not what he seemed. They knew the recruit was using their foster brother to further his hidden agenda.  
  
"There is still at least ten minutes," replied the Lòrien archer, who was beginning to worry. He knew Legolas would not leave Gimli. Normally, it would not be a problem; but with the bad weather, the Dwarf would have a lot more difficulty in getting through the race, slowing the Prince down significantly. He had hoped until this point that both would make it before the two hours limit was up.  
  
The Elves were rather intent on watching the finishing line that they did not see Aragorn creeping up behind them. "They will be here shortly."  
  
No sooner than the Man finished his sentence did the two recruits concerned appeared on the edge of the forest. Gimli looked exhausted; the Elf looked a bit tired as well from the exercise. But they both crossed the finish line with more than five minutes to spare.  
  
"Le ab-dollen, [You are late.]" said Haldir, pulling a straight face. When the Prince looked at him in puzzlement, he added as he noted the horrible state of the two recruit's clothes, "And you look terrible."  
  
When Legolas smiled, the Lòrien Elf pulled his friend aside and whispered, "Aragorn was following you."  
  
"I know. I sensed him through the race, why?" The Prince blushed slightly as he discovered others were also aware of the Man's actions.  
  
"I think he is worried that you might get hurt," replied Haldir as he continued walking away towards camp with Legolas in tow. Aloud, he said to the others before anyone could protest, "We are just going to get changed into something dry. We'll be back before archery competition."  
  
"Why do you think that? He did not even bother to try to catch me when I fell during my first night of special training," fumed Legolas. He was not so much angry as he was hurt. But anger was a much more bearable emotion than pain, so the Prince decided that he would make himself irritated at the Man instead.  
  
"I am sure he would have caught you if he thought you were in danger of getting hurt. Aragorn is known to be a tough trainer. He doesn't know what happened in your previous warrior training. He was probably just doing what he thought best for you," consoled Haldir as he placed a friendly arm around the younger Elf's shoulders.  
  
"And saying hurtful words and walking out on me was best for me?" yelled the Prince, not at all comforted by the Lòrien Elf.  
  
"That's a different matter entirely. He was just being stupid in his jealousy."  
  
"Why was he jealous? I told him I like only him!" cried a frustrated Legolas, not understanding the Man's strange hurtful behavior.  
  
"You are extremely beautiful and Yulion was clearly becoming interested in you. None of Aragorn's other lovers before were as innocent as you are. You cannot expect an experienced Man like him to trust you entirely just because you told him only he held your love. He does not know you as we do, my friend," reasoned the Guardian of Lòrien as he led Legolas back to his room.  
  
The archer was not sure if Aragorn was about to make the first move to make amends with the Prince. But he was going to help the clueless Man just this one last time. Haldir was going to make the young Elf looked beautiful enough to wow even the twins. He was certain Aragorn would not be able to resist the Elven beauty and would do whatever it took to win Legolas back.  
  
"You cannot mean what you said. Lady Arwen is his current lover," whispered a shocked Prince. Legolas had always thought of the Lady as noble and impeccable, except maybe with the exception of a little bit of a temper.  
  
"You didn't hear it from me, but Aragorn is not her first lover. She went through at least two others when she trained to be a noble lady under Lady Galadriel in Lothlòrien. Everyone in the Golden Woods knew, even the Lord and Lady; but Elves are in general open-minded, so they did not interfere," muttered Haldir into his friend's ears.  
  
"But.."  
  
The Guardian of Lòrien knew the Prince was going to bring up the incident of the disaster between one of his older brothers and Arwen, so he continued before Legolas finished his sentence. "Lord Elrond does not know of his daughter's dalliances. If Arwen liked your brother, the argument between Mirkwood and Rivendell would not have happened."  
  
"That is horrible. Did she have anything idea how much work I had to do just to convince Lord Elrond not to rise arms against us to defend her honor?!" yelled an very irritated Legolas, whose mouth was immediately clamped shut for the archer's strong hands.  
  
Haldir was glad they were already alone in his rooms with no one within earshot. If any one were to overhear their conversation, the Prince's cover would be blown; which would not do at all for several reasons. The first would be the extra tension between the Elven kingdoms; but more importantly, his young friend would lose the chance to become Aragorn's rightful consort.  
  
If the Man discovered the truth now, he would be extremely angry and would probably never forgive the Prince. It was likely that the twins could convince their foster brother that his young friend was only using Aragorn's affections to get information for Mirkwood. But if Legolas earned the respect of everyone on his own strength, Aragorn would know the Elf did not use their relationship to further his mission. It was clear to the Lòrien archer that the Ranger was completely in love with the Prince; he was sure given time and enough prompting, the Man would be willing to forgive Legolas for the deception.  
  
"Sshh. The past is in the past. Let's get you some new clothes for the remainder of the day. I think the storm will clear by lunch time," said Haldir as he began to select a special outfit for his young friend to dazzle everyone at camp. 


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. They are my fuel.  
  
Been away from computer, sorry for the long draught of updates. I have rewritten half a chapter of Lord of Fire; also drafted the next chapter of Prince of Dreams. But since I have received an overwhelming amount of reviews for Never Been Kissed, I am switching gears and writing a new chapter of this fiction. See, reviews matter =)  
  
Yulion quotes Shakespeare.... weird isn't it =)  
  
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Chapter 18:  
  
"I don't think your clothes will fit, Haldir," commented the Prince as he saw his friend went to the dresser to look for something dry for him to wear. The Lòrien archer was shorter and broader in built than the younger Elf. "Perhaps it will be better if I just go back to camp and change."  
  
"Who said anything about my clothes," replied Haldir, removing a large pile of tunics, shirts and leggings from the wardrobe. Legolas would have wondered how his friend managed to fit all that into a single drawer, except that he was too busy being surprised to find almost his entire collection of court attire in Rivendell.  
  
As the Guardian carefully spread out the variety of garments for inspection, the Prince finally found his tongue and asked, "Where did you get those?"  
  
"Lothlòrien, of course. Have you forgotten that you have been using the private talen Lady Galadriel gave you as a storage facility for the nice things you wear on diplomatic missions?" replied Haldir, eyes still intent on the clothing before him, trying to remember which ones would suit his purpose most.  
  
"I am not wearing any of these to the competition! Everyone already thinks I am effeminate. If they see me in formal attire, they will probably believe I am actually a maiden in disguise. There is no way you can make me do this!" exclaimed an agitated Legolas as he tried to flee towards the door.  
  
But Haldir was a more experienced warrior. Before the Prince could make his escape, the Guardian of Lòrien seized the younger Elf's arm to stop him. "You want Aragorn to apologize, don't you?"  
  
At that question, Legolas ceased his struggles to get free. He did want the Man to apologize for hurting his feelings. But the younger Elf could not see how what he wore would change Aragorn's mind. After all, the Man had not shown any signs of wanting to make things up to him. If anything, his commander had been giving him an angry glare for the entire week during practice.  
  
The gentle arch in the Prince's eyebrows was enough to tell Haldir that though Legolas' attitude towards his scheme had softened, he remained doubtful of validity of his plans. Smiling now, the crafty Lòrien Elf continued, "Trust me, Legolas, your Man will come to you begging to be taken back once he sees you in your full glory. Besides, it will be distracting to the other Elves. That shall make winning the competition easier, I think."  
  
Reluctantly, the younger Elf nodded. He knew Haldir was much more experienced than he was in the area of personal relationships. Legolas saw no harm in trusting his friend's judgment. If the Guardian was convinced the plan would work, the Prince was willing to give it a try. "I get a say in what I wear though."  
  
"Sure thing, my friend," replied Haldir enthusiastically, before picking out a midnight blue velvet set.  
  
The top was a loose v-neck pullover with flaring sleeves. Narrow golden vines, entwined to form an elegant pattern, decorated the sleeves and the hem. The matching leggings were simple, but formfitting. The Lòrien archer still remembered how delectable the Prince looked in this outfit. If Haldir liked males, he would be the first in line for his young friend's hand. The blue and gold complimented the coloring of Legolas' exquisite azure eyes and silken hair. The lower collar showcased the Elf's slender neck while offering a small glimpse of his flawless chest. His long, shapely limbs were on full display in the tight velvet leggings. The embroidered hem of the loose shirt floated flirtatiously just above Legolas' firm, round buttocks, drawing attention to the Prince's sensuous curves with each movement. "How about this one?"  
  
"No, it's not comfortable to move around in. The leggings are too tight and the flowing sleeves will get in the way in the archery competition. I think I will just go with the plainer green one here," replied Legolas as he quickly grabbed the simplest of his court attire and tried to run into the bathing room. He was here as a spy; not drawing too much attention to himself would be a good thing.  
  
"You are not getting away this easy," chuckled Haldir as he nimbly moved to block his young friend's way. "But, you do have a point about the sleeves. I think this ought to work though," continued the Lòrien Elf as he pointed to the outfit Legolas wore when dancing for the Lord and Lady of the Golden Woods.  
  
The Prince found that for all his intellect, he could not find an argument against this outfit as it did not restrict his movements in any way. Grudgingly, Legolas took the shirt and leggings from the Lòrien Elf's hand before going to the bathing room to clean and change.  
  
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Legolas walked into archery competition ten minutes late, hiding behind Haldir for cover. Now that he was on the field, the Prince could not remember why he allowed the Lòrien Elf to talk him into doing this. As the eyes of the twins were drawn to the latecomers, Elladan was about to chastise the blond recruit for being late. In fact, he was of a mind to disqualify Lasgalen for the tardiness; that was, of course, before the archer suddenly shifted away to reveal a golden angel in white and tan. Sensing his elder brother's jaw dropped, Elrohir turned to see what Elladan was staring at, only to be frozen in admiration of Lasgalen's beauty as well.  
  
Aragorn, being the slowest of the three commanders, finally caught sight of his beloved Elf as the pair approached them. The Man decided that beautiful was not adequate to describe the vision before him. Lasgalen wore a simple shirt of white silk, which shimmered as the material caught the tender rays of the sun. The thin fabric clung to him sensuously, hinting at the perfection of the lithe, supple body it concealed. Silver wires, bent into small leaf-shaped clasps, replaced conventional buttons and ties at the front of the garment. The outfit was completed with leggings of amber suede, designed to highlight the attractive contours of Lasgalen's legs and bottom.  
  
The overall effect was stunning; the elegant simplicity of the Elf's attire complimented and augmented his natural beauty and radiance. With lustrous hair of golden silk, exquisite sapphire eyes, delicately sculpted features, delectable rosy lips, completed with a shy expression that could melt a heart of stone, Lasgalen was undoubtedly the fairest creature to walk Middle Earth.  
  
The Man decided that the first thing he would do after he regained his ability to move and speak was to drag his delectable Elf off to somewhere private, apologize before engaging in whatever indecent behavior his innocent beloved would permit. At this time, all the other recruits had also joined in a new appraisal of their outcast. Below was the excerpt of the thoughts of Yulion, taken to be representative of the other dreamy-eyed recruits:  
  
Have my eyes deceived me? Or has an angel walked into our midst? Oh, please do not let this be a dream, for I cannot bear the thought of never seeing your fair countenance again. Oh, Lasgalen! God, nymph, perfect, divine! To what my love, should I compare thine eyes? Crystal is muddy. Oh, how ripe in show, thine lips, those kissing cherries tempting grow! ....  
  
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Legolas cursed silently as his friend moved away from him and offered him to the judgmental stares of the camp. Mustering his courage, he walked towards his commanders to apologize for being late. It was all Haldir's fault, of course, since the Lòrien archer insisted that he took a full bath and washed his hair before changing. Not to mention, the older Elf was so fussy about his braids that after several failed attempts to meet Haldir's expectations, Legolas was forced to give up and allow the Guardian of Lòrien to restyle his golden mane. Honestly, who would be able to tell the difference between a herringbone braid and a three-stranded braid?   
  
"Sorry, I am late."  
  
The twins were still at a lost for words. Now they could understand why their foster brother wanted to break up with their sister. The light of Arwen Evenstar did not come close to comparing to the beauty speaking to them. Elrohir was the first to snap out of his stupor to remember that Lasgalen was not what he seemed. Aragorn was still mesmerized, staring with open desire at his Elf.   
  
Now that he had seen Lasgalen in formal attire, the younger twin was certain the recruit was nobility. Since they knew everyone in Rivendell, Lasgalen must be from Lothlòrien or Mirkwood. But Elrohir was quite sure he had met most of the important Elves in the Golden Woods; he was the grandson of the Lord and Lady of Lòrien after all. This meant the beauty was a spy from Mirkwood. Since there was only one in Thranduil's Halls with brains, the Rivendell Elf was convinced the trainee was none other than Prince Legolas, the diplomat and tactical advisor of Mirkwood.  
  
Now, all Elrohir needed was proof. This concerned not only his foster brother's happiness and survival, but also the pride of Imladris. He would expose Thranduil's spy and teach the young Elf a lesson in humility he would never forget; one could never go against the might of Rivendell and win. Forcing a calm smile, the younger twin replied, "It's alright. Get your gear and join the end of the line."  
  
Legolas had enough experience reading people in his diplomatic missions to tell him that the younger twin suspected the truth and was plotting something. Considering the way Elrohir stared at him, the Rivendell Elf's answer to his apology was too quick and smooth. If the younger twin was in awe of his looks, he would have stammered and be a lot more eager. If Elrohir were completely unaffected, he would have been more antagonistic, giving Legolas a difficult time like he always did. But his Elven commander had given him a polite answer as an attempt to appear neutral; a reply designed to lure the Prince into lowering his guard. But the gesture was so blatant and amateurish that the tactical advisor of Mirkwood wondered if Elrohir had ever received diplomatic training.  
  
Intrigues were a game that the Golden Elf excelled at; the younger son of Elrond was not on his level. Legolas knew Elrohir would target Haldir for information. His commander thought of Dwarves as inferior and would avoid contact with Gimli if possible. He would need to warn the Guardian of Lòrien; but he was certain his Elven friend could take care of himself. The archer was one tricky Elf.  
  
But still, this complicated matters significantly. Legolas knew his carelessness and stupidity in all things concerning Aragorn was what allowed Elrohir to deduce his identity. He should never have agreed to dress in formal clothes to wow the Man; he knew how risky it was to draw so much attention to himself. Yet, his need to end his rift with Aragorn outweighed his senses and made him endanger his mission without thought. And for what? The Man still had not apologized; in fact, he had yet to say a word to Legolas ever since walking out on him the first night of special training. All his Human commander had done was stare at him, just like all the others! Perhaps, he was too naïve to think he could fulfill his mission as a spy and pursue personal happiness at the same time.  
  
Legolas wondered if he would be forced to give up Aragorn to achieve his goals; the thought prompted an aching in his reckless heart, whose only wish was to be accepted and cherished by the Man he loved. So troubled was the Prince that he did not even realized some recruits were still on the field retrieving arrows when he fired his own.  
  
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Luckily, it was Gimli who shared the same lane as the Prince. The arrow flew harmlessly above the Dwarf's head and embedded itself in the bulls-eye of the target. The young Elf's distraction was not lost on Haldir, who quickly grabbed Legolas' hand and called for a break before leading him away from the field. Gimli followed suit.  
  
When the object of their desires were finally out of sight, the others began to recover from their awe-induced stupor, enough to realize that an accident had occurred and they were given a break. Elrohir considered tracking the Guardian of Lòrien, but decided against it for fear of giving away his knowledge too soon. He needed the trio to be unsuspecting for his ploy to work. Grabbing Elladan by the arm, the younger twin dragged him off the field to discuss their future strategy.  
  
Aragorn was debating whether to follow his beloved Elf when he heard his foster brother's voice. "Stay here and keep an eye on everyone. It is only a short break and the competition will begin again shortly. Don't let anyone else leave the field."  
  
The Man was of half a mind to go to Lasgalen anyway, but the fact that both Gimli and Haldir were with the Elf stopped him. It would be better for his pride if he did not have an audience during his apology. Besides, Aragorn knew that the other things that he wished to do with his student was definitely not for anyone else's eyes. He would remain here and wait until the end of the day.  
  
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"I am so sorry, Gimli. I could have killed you!" exclaimed the Prince as he knelt before the Dwarf, encircling him in a tight embrace as tears began to flow.  
  
"It's alright, lad. Dwarves are great warriors. If I thought your arrow would hit me, I would have dodged. Don't worry," comforted Gimli as he gruffly stroked Legolas' hair.  
  
"That's not the point, Gimli. Legolas dressed up to distract others, not cause distraction to himself," commented Haldir, trying not to sound too judgmental. He knew his young friend must have a lot of worries on his mind to be so careless. The Prince was hardly the klutz he was two weeks ago.  
  
"Elrohir knows," whispered Legolas as he gracefully rose to his feet after releasing his Dwarven friend from his arms.  
  
"How?" asked two voices simultaneously.  
  
"I knew he did not trust me; it showed in how the twins treated me before. He suspected something. And just now, he was deceptively nice. He knows," answered the Prince softly with deliberate calm. He did not want his friends to fear for him.  
  
"What are you going to do?" asked Gimli, afraid that the Elven commander would expose his roommate and punish him. Dwarves never thought too much of Elves; for all Gimli knew, they might torture the Prince for espionage.  
  
"Don't worry. I have this under control. At least, where the twins are concerned," replied Legolas with full confidence. He was a tactician after all; to this date, none had ever bested him in a competition of wits.  
  
"Which leaves Aragorn," supplied Haldir, finally understanding his Elven friend's distraction on the field. When he noticed Legolas tilt his head down to look at his fidgeting fingers, the Lòrien archer knew he hit the mark with his comment. "You fear your reactions towards him, that your affections will overrun your mind, make you act rashly and jeopardize your mission."  
  
"Lad, sometimes you just have to let go and trust your feelings. You cannot be in control all the time when you are in a relationship. If you can, you don't really love the Man. I know the timing cannot be worse, but love finds us when we least expect it, my friend," continued Gimli, patting the Prince's leg reassuringly.  
  
Gimli could see that his friend and Human commander were completely in love with each other. Despite all Aragorn had done, the Dwarf still could not erase the scene of perfect bliss of the sleeping couple lying in each other's arms. Legolas and the Man looked as if they were made for each other; Gimli decided to help his commander one last time. But as soon as Aragorn apologized to the Elf, the Dwarf intended to have a long heart-to- heart talk with the Man on how to take care of his friend properly. He had no doubt Haldir wished to give the same lesson to the Human, but the archer would have to wait for his turn.   
  
"But what if he doesn't love me as much as I love him? What if he finds out my secret and decides he will never forgive me?" muttered a doubtful Legolas with a frown. His friends' advice made sense to his heart, but his brain, used to being in complete control, was much harder to convince. The risks were so great; his mission, his heart and his entire future would be at stake. He wanted Aragorn, but he also wanted to prove to his family he could be a warrior. What if in his greediness to get both his heart's desires, he miscalculates and loses both instead.  
  
"Love is a gamble, lad. No risk, no gain," replied Gimli bluntly. Playing relationship counselor was not his strongest suit. He much preferred killing Orcs or digging in the mines.  
  
"Gimli is right on this. You will never know unless you try. Besides, even if you wish to, you won't be able to stop yourself from loving Aragorn," agreed the archer with a gentle smile. Legolas was a hopeless romantic, one of the last firm believers in a single true love. The Lòrien Elf knew his young friend had already given the Man his heart; it could not be taken back. Haldir was merely pointing out the obvious, which the Prince's rational side was still refusing to see. It was difficult for Legolas' brain to admit defeat and relinquish partial control to his heart after so many years of complete dominance.  
  
Shaking his head with a small smile, Legolas stopped staring at his fingers and regarded his two friends. "You are right, as usual. I have already put my heart on the line the moment Aragorn kissed me. I just hope I won't lose this game."  
  
Before turning back to the field, the Prince whispered in his Elven friend's ears, "Be careful. The twins will come after you for information." With the warning, Legolas began to walk back to the archery range, followed closely by Gimli.  
  
As his two friends disappeared into a distance, Haldir finally relaxed and allowed his suppressed smirk of excitement to brighten his face. It would be fun, playing with the twins. Valar knew he needed the distraction from being the 'mature, compassionate and supportive' sidekick of his innocent Elven friend. He could hardly wait to set his darker, more mischievous, side loose on the unsuspecting sons of Elrond.  
  
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"You are sure?" asked Elladan incredulously. He knew Thranduil was unhappy that none of the Mirkwood princes were elected commander of the Joint Army. But to send one of his own blood to pose as a lowly recruit just to keep an eye on their progress? The older twin had always thought the King would be too proud for such a thing. Besides, Prince Legolas was essential to Mirkwood, being the only one with intellect and eloquence in Thranduil's halls. The King could not possible be so reckless as to send his kingdom's most prized jewel away as a spy!  
  
"I am positive. Intelligent, graceful, articulate yet shy at the same time; Lasgalen fits the description of the Golden Prince of Mirkwood perfectly. We just need proof before we bring this up with ada [Father]," replied Elrohir with full confidence.  
  
"What do you suggest?" inquired the older twin. He could feel his brother's conviction; he would trust him this once.  
  
"We will try to coax Haldir into talking," suggested the younger twin with a naughty smile.  
  
"He likes females," pointed out Elladan, shaking his head at his little brother. Though he would admit, the Guardian of Lòrien was rather dashing with his white-blond hair, sculpted features and hazel green eyes. Not to mention those lean, well-toned muscles and full rosy lips. He definitely would not mind trying to seduce the archer at all.  
  
"What if we get him slightly inebriated?" whispered Elrohir with gleaming eyes. He was already picturing the many different things he would like to do to a docile Haldir. He had fancied the archer for a long while, but he knew the Lòrien Elf was not receptive and had stayed away because of propriety issues. The Guardian was one of his grandmother's favorites. But now, he had the excuse of acting in the best interest of Rivendell. He did not see the harm in getting what he wanted out of his scheme to obtain proof of Legolas' identity.  
  
Nodding in assent to his younger brother's plans, Elladan began to march back to the field. He just wanted to get this competition over with. His thoughts were now set on the much more interesting game of intrigue his brother planned. Soon, they would have the information they needed along with the pleasure of Haldir's company. 


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Don't own anything  
  
Please, please review. They are my fuel.  
  
Responses to reviews: Not everyone has homosexual tendencies in the story. Gimli does not, but that doesn't count I suppose. I actually meant it when I wrote Haldir likes females. I just haven't made up my mind whether I want him to stay that way or not, which depends on how much I want to torture the twins =)  
  
Warning: Just watched Two Towers on IMAX again. Haldir on Deeping Wall in armor - the profile shot as he drew his bow is sending very impure thoughts into my head. So, he gets steamy descriptions in the chapter, still PG-13, of course.  
  
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Chapter 19:  
  
The trio returned to the field before the twins. As soon as they came into view, the recruits once again began to stare open-mouthed at the golden beauty. Aragorn settled for glaring at the trainees for having impure thoughts of his Elf instead. While the Elf in question walked calmly to his position in front of the targets, Gimli and Haldir gave the Man a meaningful look. If looks could speak, theirs would say, "This is the last time I am helping you. If you mess up again, I will kill you before he does." 'he' referring to the Dwarf or Lòrien archer, depending on who gave the look.   
  
The twins walked onto the scene of all the Elven recruits still mesmerized by Legolas' perfection. They both knew there wasn't much point in continuing the archery contest. The other Elves were too preoccupied in their study of the Prince's beauty to shoot properly. After all, no matter how good one was at archery, one could not hit a target without seeing it. And since everyone's eyes were glued to the golden Elf's form, except for Legolas and Gimli, the spy from Mirkwood would be the default winner.  
  
Elrohir was about to give the order to postpone the match when the Prince spoke, "Why is everyone staring at me? I am not even doing anything embarrassing this time. Why are you bent on making my life as difficult as possible?"  
  
Legolas could feel the hundred pairs of eyes on him. The Prince was not like Arwen who was confident in her own beauty. While the Evenstar delighted in the attention she got, Legolas was never comfortable with receiving compliments or looks of appraisal. Because he was an introvert who never stood out in his own kingdom, he could not quite understand the commotion he generated when he was on diplomatic missions. The Elf always believed that others stared at him because he looked more like a maiden than a warrior, that they were making fun of him in their minds.  
  
Yulion was the first one to snap out of his stupor at the golden beauty's words. He wanted Legolas to like him, and apparently, staring like a love- sick puppy only succeeded in making the object of his affections uncomfortable. Elbowing his friends around him to stun them out of their admiration, the dark-haired Elf replied, "Please forgive our rudeness, Lasgalen. We cannot help ourselves. It is not every day that we are graced with the presence of a heavenly beauty like you."  
  
The Rivendell recruit's jab in the ribs had started a chain reaction that traveled throughout the ranks. By the time Yulion finished his apology, the others were all out of their trance, blushing or smiling sheepishly at the golden Elf. The dark-haired recruit decided he must not be outdone and flashed his most charming smile at Legolas, who blushed and averted his eyes shyly.  
  
Aragorn, of course, had enough of this open attempt to impress HIS Elf. But instead of walking up to Yulion and hitting him as he wished to do, the Man did something he thought he was unable to do - control his temper. Taking a deep breath, the human commander of the army summoned his most authoritative voice and spoke, "Now that everyone finally seems to be paying attention to the competition, let us begin again. Everyone take their positions."  
  
At his command, the recruits returned their attention to their targets; but not before Legolas cast a grateful glance at the Man with a small smile. Aragorn felt his heart skipped a beat and his breeches becoming too constricting. It was the first time in a week that his Elf had acknowledged him. Not to mention that this time, Lasgalen seemed to be pleased with him. He got a smile from the golden beauty while Yulion only got a blush. Score one for the Human!  
  
When the elation of his 'victory' finally wore off, the Man decided that the best strategy to win his Elf would be to keep neutral in public, while showering him with tons of affections in private. His student seemed to like the serious, impersonal commander during the day. But at night, Aragorn had learnt by experience that the fair-haired beauty preferred a gentle, loving teacher. The Man could hardly wait for nightfall. His mind was already making countless suggestions of the different possible ways to apologize and make up to Lasgalen.  
  
He did not have to wait long, as the competition was almost over when Aragorn stopped congratulating himself on winning a smile from Lasgalen when his 'opponent' could not. The golden Elf was leading, by a significant enough margin that he was guaranteed the winner no matter what happened in the last five shots. Every one of the fair-haired beauty's arrows hit the center of the mark. The other Elves, even the twins, could not help but be amazed at the Prince's skills. Haldir and Gimli were not surprised; they merely watched with satisfaction as the last five arrows find the bulls-eye of the target, wearing expression of a brother proud of a younger sibling's achievements.  
  
The smile of pride was not lost on the twins, who had been watching the Lòrien Elf rather hungrily since their return. Now, they knew without a doubt that the archer had been giving the spy special training. There was no other way Legolas could have improved so dramatically within two weeks. This meant that Haldir had sided with the enemy, which gave them the right to do as they wished with the Guardian without worries of repercussion. They would definitely enjoy tonight.  
  
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Things were as Haldir expected in the swords competition. The other recruits though no longer completely under Legolas spell held back when faced with the golden beauty. In the long run, this was not the best way for the Prince to gain the acceptance of the other recruits, but the others' distraction gave him an easier path to Yulion. Since the younger Elf began training only a week ago, there was still much to work to be done to build his stamina, endurance and strength. His protégé was not yet ready to fight twenty tough matches in a row within one afternoon. To ensure that Legolas had a fair chance against the dark-haired Elf, the distraction was sadly necessary. Maybe after another two weeks, the Prince would be ready to fight and win all the battles with his own strength.  
  
It was under the setting sun that the match between Legolas and Yulion began. The dark-haired Elf did not wish to harm the objection of his desires, but he also wanted to prove his strength to the golden beauty. "Let us settle our scores with this match. After this, we start anew."  
  
"Very well, as long as you don't hold back like the others," replied the Prince as he began to circle his opponent to look for an opening. Haldir taught him to always study the other fighter's stance before attacking.  
  
"Good, I won't be holding back then." With that comment, Yulion spun round to meet the fair-haired Elf, bringing up his training sword to slash at his opponent's side.  
  
Legolas had seen the move before and deftly shifted his sword down to block the blow. Using his momentum, he counterattacked with his elbow, trying to hit the dark-haired Elf's face. The move surprised Yulion, who barely had time to leap back to avoid the blow. Lasgalen was much better than he anticipated.  
  
Before he had time to reconsider his strategies, the blond Elf was attacking again, swinging his training sword in a downward arc. The Rivendell Elf blocked the blow easier, but was shocked once again when his opponent rotated his wrists such that his blade was now under his own. With lightening speed, the Prince thrust his sword at Yulion's exposed chest, landing a clean hit that sent the other Elf staggering backwards.  
  
To say that the dark-haired Elf was amazed by Legolas' skills was an understatement. In fact, at that moment, Yulion decided that even if pursuing the golden beauty would bring him into direct confrontation with his human commander, he would still try everything in his power to claim Lasgalen as his own. A beauty possessing such talents with weapons was extremely rare; the golden Elf was the perfect consort for someone with noble birth, like Yulion.  
  
The dark-haired trainee's distraction nearly cost him the match as the said beauty was attacking again. Yulion brought his sword up to block the blow last minute. The more experienced Elf realized he would not be able to defeat Lasgalen in quickness, maybe not even in skills, since his opponent seemed to know his moves extremely well. He would have to use the environment to win this match.  
  
The Rivendell Elf, being stronger, pushed the fair-haired recruit back and shifted to face the sun. When the Prince attacked again, Yulion blocked his sword and tilted the blade. Light reflected off the metal surface temporarily blinded the golden Elf, giving the dark-haired one the opportunity to trip and disarm him. When vision returned, Legolas found himself on the floor with a blade to his throat.  
  
"Yulion of Rivendell is the winner of this match and the overall competition," announced Elladan with much satisfaction. He was glad that one from his own kingdom had beaten the spy from Mirkwood.  
  
"You okay?" asked the dark-haired Elf as he offered the Prince a hand up.  
  
"Yes. Congratulations," replied Legolas dejectedly as he allowed Yulion to pull him up. He had tried his best, but he still lost. And he thought this was his chance to prove that he could be a warrior.  
  
"You are really good. I am wondering if you would be my training partner from now on. People always say the only way to improve is to find a worthy opponent," said the dark-haired recruit, suddenly feeling very insecure. It was not a feeling he was familiar with. All his life, Yulion had been popular; no one had actually denied him anything before. But Lasgalen was different; and after what happened, the Rivendell Elf understood the fair- haired beauty had every reason to refuse him.  
  
"You think I am a worthy opponent?" asked the Prince incredulously. He just lost the match, and in less than five minutes at that. Yulion could not be serious.  
  
"Of course. I only beat you because I have much more experience fighting. In terms of skills, we are quite even," replied the dark-haired Elf with an encouraging smile.  
  
"Thanks. I would love to be your sparring partner in training," answered Legolas, offering Yulion an innocent smile in return.  
  
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Meanwhile outside the arena, the Man glared with jealous eyes at his Elf smiling at the Rivendell recruit. After a series of deep breaths and mental reassurances of 'Lasgalen likes me, not him', a calmer Aragorn walked off the field to prepare for 'apologizing' to the golden beauty tonight. When the Man left the field, Elrohir approached his 'unsuspecting' quarry; the elder twin had left to begin gathering the items necessary for the night immediately after the announcement of the competition's winner.  
  
"That was a good match," commented the younger twin, standing close behind Haldir.  
  
"Yes. Lasgalen is making a lot of progress," replied the Lòrien Elf with a smile, pretending to be unaware of Elrohir's intentions.  
  
The archer expected this, the twins trying to seduce him and make him talk. Though Haldir liked females, he decided he would play along. Elrohir's longstanding attraction to him was rather transparent, despite what the Rivendell Elf might think. The archer just chose never to acknowledge it to save them both the embarrassment.  
  
After all, the Guardian had two elder brothers who were the 'heartbreakers' of Lothlòrien. Males and females flocked around Rumil and Orophin like cattle gathered around their shepherds. It was difficult not to learn everything about the games of attraction and affections when one grew up in that kind of environment. Haldir decided he would use his knowledge to have a little fun at the expense of the sons of Elrond for making his young friend's life difficult.  
  
"I think that's just because he has a wonderful teacher," whispered Elrohir, lips almost touching the archer's sensitive ears.  
  
"You are too kind," replied Haldir, pulling away slightly to appear shy. But in truth, he moved just far enough to give the younger twin a good view of his very desirable buttocks.  
  
The Guardian's action had the anticipated effect; the archer could hear Elrohir gulped and bit his lip before continuing, "Maybe we can meet tonight. You can enlighten us on your training methods. We can use it on the other recruits as well."  
  
It was taking ever ounce of Elrohir's self-control to make his offer sound 'professional'. The younger twin was still staring at Haldir's behind as he spoke, with the expression of a child given his favorite candy but told that he could not touch. Elrohir had to keep telling himself that if he succeeded in tricking his prey, he would get to do everything he fantasized about to the Lòrien Elf. That thought was the only thing keeping the younger twin from moving forward and pressing his growing hardness against the archer.  
  
"Sure. Lasgalen deserves a break tonight. I'll be in my rooms," replied the Guardian without turning. Slowly, he began to walk back towards the palace, swaying his hips a tiny bit more than usual. When he felt Elrohir's eyes burnt into his back, he knew things would get interesting very soon.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Haldir just finished bathing and changing when he heard two visitors enter his rooms. To his dismay, the loud breathing and the fluttering of wings indicated that his visitors were a Dwarf and a parrot. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I figured Aragorn will be visiting Legolas tonight, so I thought I will disappear to give them some privacy. And you know how Estel doesn't like his human counterpart. Don't want the little bird ruining the mood for those two," answered Gimli as he put the cage down onto a table. He proceeded to make himself comfortable by flopping onto an armchair and began to pick on the grapes on a nearby stand.  
  
"You cannot stay here. I am expecting company," said the Guardian of Lòrien curtly as he emerged from the bathing room.  
  
Gimli stared agape at the Elf for a long while before stuttering, "Sorry..we..disturb.... um.... I..."  
  
"The twins will be here any minute," quipped Haldir, looking at the Dwarf as if Gimli had just lost his mind, which was possibly true.  
  
After several more minutes of closing his eyes and letting the information his friend had just disclosed sank in, Gimli screamed, "The twins! Are you mad? They are suspicious already!"  
  
"I have everything under control. Don't worry," replied the Elf smugly as he began to comb his unbound silvery hair. "Things are going according to plan."  
  
"Plan? I don't know how much faith I have in a plan that involves wearing a shirt so thin that it's almost transparent and leggings a size too tight," asked the Dwarf in disbelief. It looked to him that the Elf had allowed his lust to jeopardize Legolas' safety. That was something he could not allow.  
  
"Stupid Dwarf. Stay if you wish. But I do not take responsibility of what will happen when the twins find you here," answered the Guardian of Lòrien calmly. He knew how things looked; and the fact that he got Gimli to stare and misunderstand his true intentions was definitely encouraging. The twins would never know what hit them.  
  
Gimli knew he would get into trouble if he were found in the palace. The twins might use this as an excuse to get rid of him. The Dwarf could not protect his friend if he was tossed out of the army. He would have to trust Haldir this once. Besides, the Elven archer seemed to always have the Prince's well being in mind. If the Lòrien Elf believed he could separate his affair with the twins from his duties of protecting Legolas, Gimli saw no reason to doubt him. "If you betray our young friend, I will not forgive you." With that warning, the Dwarf took parrot Estel and marched out of the room.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
With a sigh of relief, Haldir walked to the mirror to study his reflection one last time. While Legolas was a heavenly beauty, Haldir was temptation made flesh when he wished. Though not as promiscuous as his siblings, the Guardian of Lòrien was no less sinfully sexy. He just learned to hide it; he enjoyed being able to walk around the woods without being proposed to. Unlike his brothers, he did not like receiving catcalls from his fellow warriors or whispered promises of wild nights in various rather obscene, not to mention uncomfortable, positions. The archer much preferred the gentler, shyer female Elves who would not throw themselves into his bed. This was the first time he had actually deliberately set out to drive another male crazy with lust. Surveying the image before him, Haldir was sure he would have the twins wrapped around his fingertips before the night was over.  
  
The Elf wore a forest green shirt of raw silk. The color provided an excellent contrast to his flaxen hair and porcelain skin. The green also complimented his hazy green eyes, which now resembled sparkling emeralds. Gimli was right, the material was so thin that it was almost transparent, offering a silhouetted view of the lean, well-defined muscles of his stomach and his chest. His leggings were tight, clinging to him like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Though the shirt was long, the thin material gave little cover for the Elf's maleness or his tight round buttocks. It only served to tantalize, adding a sensual quality to the heat and blatant sexuality of Haldir's revealing outfit. And it would seem that even nature was helping him tonight, as a soft breeze caressed the Elf's unbound silver hair and loose silk shirt. The garment now drifted flirtatiously over the archer's body, his nipples pressed suggestively against the thin material.  
  
When he heard the twins entering, the Lòrien Elf ran his fingers through his unbound hair and flicked it out of his face with a sigh of pleasure. The gesture left his face half-turned towards his guests, giving them a clear view of his sculpted profile and moist, full lips, still parted from the sigh. Haldir laughed inwardly when Elrohir was so intent on watching him that the younger twin tripped over a small table in the middle of the room.  
  
Turning his full attention on his visitors as if aware of their presence for the first time, the Guardian spoke, flashing them his most charming smile, "Welcome. I have been expecting you."  
  
Both Rivendell Elves found that they lost their tongues temporarily. They had thought Haldir good-looking before, but the Elf in front of them was downright seductive. All they could think of at that moment was shedding their uncomfortable leggings and taking the male temptress to bed.  
  
Sensing their impure thoughts, the Lòrien Elf smiled again as he noticed the bottle of fey wine in Elladan's hands. It was ancient, one of the best in Rivendell, no doubt from Lord Elrond's collection. Haldir knew the twins would get into so much trouble when their father found out. The archer could not help feeling pity for them and decided he would not go through with his entire scheme tonight. It just seemed too cruel to break their hearts for all the trouble they went through, especially since the Guardian had no intention of giving them what they wanted.  
  
"I see you brought wine," commented Haldir innocently, as he took the bottle out of the older twin's hand. He would have brushed his fingers against the dark-haired Elf's, except that he had decided he would show mercy and not toy with them as much. After he gestured for his guests to sit, the Lòrien Elf turned to look for goblets for the wine.  
  
The twins stared at the well-shaped legs and buttocks of their prey as he went on his search for goblets. Through their mental link, they were debating whether to change strategy and just jump the Lòrien Elf. Haldir was an excellent warrior, but they had the advantage in numbers. They were certain they could get the archer to talk once they had him securely immobilized under their very aroused bodies. But they also knew that while seduction was acceptable in these intrigues, forcing themselves on another was not.  
  
We are already in trouble for stealing the wine. What's one more thing? asked Elrohir, determined to have the object of his desires. He had waited many years for this opportunity. Seeing the Lòrien Elf dressed so seductively was driving him insane with lust.  
  
Weaker Elves can die from grief if forced upon. You know that! answered Elladan in alarm as he heard the determination in his twin's voice. He knew his brother well; his keenness to take the Lòrien archer regardless of circumstances was definitely not a good thing. Haldir was most desirable, the older son of Elrond was about to burst out of his leggings; but he had standards. He was not about to stoop that low to get physical gratification.  
  
But Haldir is not weak! Besides, we will be gentle. We will make it really good for him, argued the younger twin as his eyes continued to devour the sight of the Guardian's backside.  
  
That's not the point! We are Elves, and noble ones at that. We cannot do this, yelled the older Elf at his insolent little brother. If this continued, Elladan decided he would grab his twin and flee.  
  
Look at him. Would he be dressed like this if he isn't interested on some level?" asked Elrohir, trying another tact. He needed his older brother's co-operation on this. Besides, he knew he had a point. Haldir might as well have been walking around naked in that outfit. In fact, the younger twin was sure that the Lòrien Elf looked much more enticing and sexy in these garments than he would in the nude.  
  
Their argument was interrupted when the seemingly oblivious Haldir returned with three chalices. The tension between the twins was palpable. The Guardian was a bit unsettled by Elrohir's ravenous expression. He was beginning to worry that he had overestimated the twins' self-control and integrity. The archer knew he would not be able to fight both off if they jumped him. Pretending not to notice anything out of the ordinary, Haldir opened the bottle and carefully poured the wine into the goblets. This was not the time to worry; it was too late to turn back. Besides, he had a back-up plan in case the twins tried something inappropriate.  
  
Taking a small sip, the Lòrien Elf closed his eyes to savor the impeccable taste of the finest feywine in Rivendell. It was by far the best the archer had ever tasted; without thought, eyes hooded under his long lashes, Haldir let out a small sign of satisfaction. What he did not expect was for the sound to start a chain reaction. Elrohir, who was watching the flaxen-haired Elf, lost control and reached for the object of his desire, while the older twin, who was sipping his wine, noticed his brother's actions and tried to stop him. Forgetting that he was still holding his wine glass, Elladan's sudden movement sprayed the contents of his chalice all over a surprised Guardian of Lòrien.  
  
Haldir watched in morbid fascination as the two identical Elves crashed to the floor and wrestled each other. Since the twins knew all of the other's moves, strengths and weaknesses; they were very well matched. After several minutes, the archer decided he had enough watching the two rolled on the floor, trying to land a punch or kick on the other. He did not see what happened, but he could guess they were fighting over him. "Stop it!"  
  
His shout had the desired effects as the twins stopped their movements, disentangled themselves and stood to face him. They were about to speak and say, "It's his fault" when Haldir continued coldly. "I am expecting someone else later in the evening. Please take your fight elsewhere. Come back another night if you still wish to discuss methods to train the recruits."  
  
With that, the Lòrien Elf turned and left for the bathing room to clean. The twins stared at the retreating form of the seductive Elf until he was out of sight. When the door of the bathing room slammed shut, they turned to glare at each other. This is all your fault! yelled Elrohir through their mental link.  
  
My fault? You are the one who cannot control your lust and almost ruined everything! Haldir is dressed like that because he is expecting someone else. He didn't do it for us! screamed back Elladan, fists clutched at his sides.  
  
That doesn't matter. We could have had him! And our information! Now we have nothing, shot back the younger twin, furious, looking ready to continue their fight.  
  
At that moment, Larien, a Lady of noble birth and a confidante of their sister Arwen, walked into the room. "My lords, what a surprise to find you here. I am supposed to meet Haldir for a poetry reading session tonight at eight. I know I am a bit early, but I was not expecting him to have visitors."  
  
The possessiveness in her tone was clear. The Lady was one to be reckoned with, beautiful and strong, much like their sister. The twins decided that they would take their argument elsewhere. It was not so much they feared a mere Elf maiden; there were only two females they feared, Arwen and Galadriel. But Haldir had asked them to leave; they had embarrassed themselves enough in front of the Guardian of Lòrien for one night.  
  
Elladan wanted to please the archer since he was now more determined than ever to seduce the silver-haired beauty into his bed. Elrohir also needed the Lòrien Elf to be unmindful of his overwhelming desires if he were to have a chance of getting what he wanted. Still glaring at each other, the twins bid Lady Larien goodnight before heading to the fields to settle their differences. 


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
Author's note: A sincere apology to any reader who was unhappy with the last chapter. Received a review that pointed out it contains adult themes that were used as a joke, namely Elrohir's intentions. Frankly, I did not expect it to be taken seriously. With this fiction, I just start writing a chapter and see what comes out. Save for a few elements I must go through, everything depends on my state of mind. Which is why a 'short story' had turned out to be this long =)  
  
But anyway, yesterday was a day when I should not be writing humor since I was in a sick and twisted mood while my mind was still in the gutter. Though I can say with a clear conscious that I will never allow any of my characters to be violated without their consent, I am still really sorry if anyone is offended.  
  
I think I will stay with a short chapter of mushy stuff and Aragorn torturing instead. Not funny at all. Accelerated the storyline, since this fiction is getting a bit long =)  
  
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Chapter 20:  
  
Legolas was feeling an urge to hurt Haldir for convincing him to wear his formal clothes to the competition. The young Elf was very tired from the long day and wished for nothing more than a soothing bath and a warm bed, with the exception of speaking to Aragorn before sleeping, of course. But now, he could have neither of those things as most of the recruits were lurking in the bathing rooms, wanting to catch a glimpse of him in the nude. The rest of them were staking out his room, in case he forwent the bath and decided to change there instead. So it was that the Prince was forced to wander the forests of Rivendell aimlessly; waiting for the crowd to disperse before returning to his quiet life.  
  
It was under these trees that Aragorn found his beloved. He had gone into the woods to look for inspiration to compose a love poem for his beautiful Elf. The Man wanted the night to be perfect; he wanted to outdo himself in all his previous romances. Lasgalen was special; the Elf deserved the very best he had to offer. But all thoughts were forgotten when he encountered the golden beauty, glowing gently in the pale moonlight. The Elf still wore the same clothes he did at the competition, a vision in white and amber. He wore an unguarded expression as he moved gracefully along the winding paths, an angel about to re-enter the world of dreams. The Man swore he had never seen a more breathtaking sight.  
  
The trance was soon broken as the Prince became aware of his silent admirer. With alarm, Legolas returned to the present, appalled that he had fallen into the welcomed embrace of sleep as he wandered. Sensing the Elf's unease, the Man spoke to reassure his beloved, "It's only me, Aragorn. I am sorry I startled you."  
  
At the sound of Aragorn's voice, the Prince visibly relaxed and closed the distance between them. "It is alright. I should not have fallen asleep on my feet. I must be more exhausted than I thought," replied Legolas softly, smiling at his commander. He had been wishing to speak with the Man alone for the entire week; but now that he had his wish, he found himself strangely tongue-tied.  
  
"Why are you not in your rooms then?" inquired the Man gently. He wanted to apologize, spurt words of praise and undying love. But as he had yet to find the right phrases when he chanced upon the Elf, he did not know how to broach the subject. As a result, Aragorn was forced to settle for making small talk instead.  
  
"People are watching my rooms, and the bathing rooms too. I cannot go back until they leave," answered the Prince, trying to feign nonchalance. This conversation was definitely not going as he wished. The last thing he wanted to talk to Aragorn about was his problems with the other recruits.  
  
The Man needed to take many deep breaths before he moved or spoke again. If he had not done so, he would have marched to the barracks and did bodily harm to all the Elves who tried to pursue his Lasgalen. But he had a feeling that his beloved would not be pleased with him for being so possessive and violent. Instead, he used every ounce of his will power to control his anger and jealous before making his offer. "You can use my rooms if you wish."  
  
Legolas blushed, considered for a very long moment before making his response, "Thank you for the offer. But I don't have any of my cleaning supplies or clothes with me; I think I will just wait them out."  
  
Aragorn was very disappointed, but tried his best not to let his sentiment show. He was about to make some excuse to leave and wallow in his misery when he heard his Elf whispered shyly, "Would you stay with me for a little while? Keep me company?"  
  
The Man felt like bouncing around in joy. Lasgalen wanted HIS company, not anyone else's!! Take that, you lot of prancing Elves! shouted Aragorn mentally in triumph, before replying aloud, "I would love to." He tried his best not to sound too eager, but he knew he failed miserable. But since the Elf gave him another fond smile, the Man was not overly concerned with his juvenile antics.  
  
Forcing himself to calm from his euphoria, Aragorn suggested as he held out his hand for Lasgalen, "I know this place in the forest were we can sit comfortably and talk. I can show you if you like."  
  
"That sounds wonderful," replied the Prince, placing his slim hand into the Man's larger one, blushing slightly as he smiled.  
  
Walking hand in hand, Aragorn was becoming more confident by the minute that whatever he said, his apology would be accepted and the Elf would stop being angry with him. Gathering his courage, he whispered, breaking their amicable silence, 'Lasgalen..."  
  
"Yes, Aragorn," answered the Prince, casting a glance at the Man who held his heart. He had been trying to keep his attention focused on the path ahead as he was unsure of what to do. He had never been in love before; least say had fight with someone he loved.  
  
Unable to face his Elf during his apology, the Man stared resolutely at the floor as he spoke, "I am sorry for my actions that night a week ago. I was a bit harsh; and I shouldn't have walked out on you; and..."  
  
A slender finger on the Man's lips stopped the outpouring of words. When Aragorn looked up to face his Elf, he surprised to see Lasgalen's uncertain gaze upon him. "The truth is that I am not angry with you. I am just a bit hurt by how cold you were that night. In the last few days, I thought I wanted an apology; but now I realize all I need is your reassurance that you do care about me."  
  
"Oh Lasgalen, I love you! Don't ever doubt that again. I am so sorry," proclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf in his arms. Gazing deep into those exquisite sapphire eyes, Aragorn claimed the Prince's lips in a tender kiss, with all the love he ever felt for his beloved. It seemed an eternity before they parted, wearing identical content smiles. With his arm over Lasgalen's shoulder, the Man guided his Elf towards their destination.  
  
Under the shades of a great birch tree, the lovers sat together in perfect bliss, gazing out into the night sky. The full moon and stars glimmered softly, painting a masterpiece of celestial beauty. The gentle breeze whispered its serenade of love; the soft rustling of leaves chiming in to create the tranquil music of the night.  
  
Arm draped over his beloved's shoulder, calloused fingers interlaced with slimmer, pale ones, a golden head resting peacefully against his chest, Aragorn was content. Though not what he envisioned, the night was perfect. This moment they shared, sitting side by side in comfortable silence, was more intimate and satisfying than any night of passion the Man had ever experienced. No words, no movements, just the simple feeling of being with the one he loved. Aragorn was never a romantic. But at that moment, he truly believed that everyone was supposed to have a soulmate and that Lasgalen was his other half, the only one who could make him whole.  
  
Legolas knew Aragorn was his one true love the moment they kissed two weeks ago. But now sitting here alone with the Man, any doubts he had about continuing their relationship vanished. He would rather die than leave his human commander. All he wanted was for the night to last forever, just the two of them together without worries of the outside world. But the voice of reason in his mind would not let him be. After the short reprieve it granted him to enjoy the moment, it nagged at him, forcing him to consider his future strategies.  
  
This was not a game, not some intrigue that as a diplomat Legolas was familiar with. This was entirely new territory where two hearts were at risk. One false move and the Prince would not only have his heart broken but also broke the heart of the one he valued more than his own life. The twins knew his secret; sooner or later, Aragorn would know it as well. It would be better if the Man heard the truth from him instead.  
  
His brain protested against the idea, thinking he was allowing his feelings to jeopardize his mission. But his heart urged him on, wanting no more falsehood between himself and the one he loved. The coward in him wanted to hide, afraid that Aragorn would not forgive him. The romantic wished to speak, firmly believing their love would survive, no matter what happened.  
  
Aragorn too began to sense the blissful tranquility they shared slipping away. Suddenly aware of the tension within his Elf, the Man tightened his embrace, wishing to shield his beloved from all the troubles of the world, before asking softly, "What's wrong, love?"  
  
At that moment, Legolas knew he needed to confide the whole truth in his beloved before it was too late. There was already a strong bond between them; soon there would be no hiding his emotions from the Man. He could no longer wait until he gained everyone's respect with his own strength. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."  
  
"Tell me," whispered the Man encouragingly, before placing a gentle kiss on top of his beloved's golden head.  
  
Turning to face his commander, Legolas held the Man's steel-grey eyes with his own stormy sapphires as he began, "I am not who you think I am. I ..."  
  
His confession was cut short by an inhuman cry. "Stupid Estel!" A loud fluttering of wings and the dismayed mutters of "Be quiet, Estel!" soon followed. It was clear the couple was not alone.  
  
"Come out at once!" exclaimed Aragorn, very angry at the intrusion. In fact, he was more upset with the intrusion than what Lasgalen had just told him. His beloved's identity was not of that much importance to him. As long as the Elf was still the same wonderful, innocent person, the Man would love him whoever he might be. Though Aragorn did not believe the twins' lies about Lasgalen, he was not so stupid that he did not notice the Elf was too special to be the commoner he was pretending to be.  
  
The Dwarf, holding a parrot in a cage, soon appeared from the dense foliage. Apparently, Gimli's aimless wandering had taken him to the one place he wished to avoid, where his friend and commander were. The couple was too enrapt in the their own private world to notice the approach of the Dwarf and bird. As soon as Gimli heard voices in the direction he was heading, he started to turn back, hoping his intrusion would go unnoticed. When the Prince began his confession, though the Dwarf was unsure of the wisdom of it, he decided he would support Legolas' decision and remain silent.  
  
Estel, however, had other ideas. The parrot had a much lower esteem of its human counterpart than the Dwarf. It was certain if its beloved told human Estel the truth, the 'stupid Man' would hurt the golden Elf's feelings. It decided it would be the hero and save Legolas from heartbreak at the hands of its 'inconsiderate' namesake. Thus, before the Prince could disclose the entire truth, the bird interrupted.  
  
"Sorry, I was just walking around. Didn't expect anyone to be here," said Gimli, looking more than a bit embarrassed. Parrot Estel, on the other hand, glared at the Man without a trace of repentance in its little eyes.  
  
"Don't ever spy on us again. I hate spies," warned the Man, menacingly. Though Aragorn was looking at Gimli, the Elf felt a blade twist in his heart. It was already too late. He should have known better; they should never have begun. The only thing Legolas could do was to end this now, before the Man falls deeper in love with Lasgalen.  
  
The Dwarf noticed the grimace on his friend and was about to speak when the Prince whispered, "I think we should stop seeing each other from now on."  
  
The Man spun around to face his Elf. He could not believe his ears, especially after the bliss they just shared. "What did you say?"  
  
With a calm he spent centuries perfecting, the Prince looked squarely into Aragorn's eyes. "I am not who you think I am. I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't want you to hate me when you learn the truth. We must end this now."  
  
Before Aragorn could protest, Legolas turned and sprinted away, leaving a confused and heart-broken Man to ponder why things had suddenly gone so wrong in what was the most perfect night in his life. 


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. They are my fuel.  
  
Been getting lots of death threats lately about not updating for my various fictions. Don't know if I should be pleased or not =) I will be concentrating on finishing this story since it's winding down. Everything is actually going to be plot driven from this point on. So I am apologizing in advance if the chapters aren't funny.  
  
Chapter 10 status: Checked it today, it's back on.  
  
.. thoughts or my commentaries.  
  
Before I begin, there is one response to a review I wish to make.  
  
Believer: I have read the book. Have seen the movies many times as well. And I think of Legolas as the strongest of them all (well, I suppose I have to give Gimli some credit since he did beat our Elf's kill number by 1 at Helm's Deep in the book). That is why our Elf is my favorite in the movie, not because he is pretty, but because he is supercool with his bow and knives. As for in the book, Haldir is actually my favorite Elf since Legolas is a little too homicidal and cheery all the time. It was almost as if the whole thing was a giant game for him. But that is beside the point.  
  
Anyway, this story is alternate universe so I CAN explore different portrayals of my favorite characters. In fact, this is why I only write AU, because I can infuse a little of my imagination into the LOTR characters. If I only want to see Legolas as the quiet, stoic, action Elf with a sarcastic sense of humor, I will be watching the movie. There is no need to write my own story. For this particular fiction, I decided I would make Legolas behave like a sweet, delicate child in his personal matters. I am not portraying him as a sissy; it takes a lot of aplomb to endure all the public humiliation I put him through with head held high. So what if he cries all the time over Aragorn. The Elf is supposed to be in love; and people make exceptions when they are in love. I am sorry that you are annoyed with the personality I gave this particular Legolas; but I don't think it is 'stupid' to portray him as a gentle, beautiful and very sensitive person.  
  
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Chapter 21:  
  
When the Dwarf was certain his roommate had fallen into an uneasy sleep, he left the barracks in search of the Guardian of Lòrien. They really needed to discuss the latest turn in the Prince's relationship with Aragorn. Not in his wildest dreams would Gimli expect what he just witnessed in the forest or in his rooms this night. Upon their return, the Elf had not spoken another word; he simply hid inside the closet and changed before going to bed. The sentimental, sweet Legolas had not shed a tear or betrayed any sort of emotion after his break-up with the Man. The Dwarf was worried about this uncharacteristic behavior. Since Haldir had known the Prince for longer, Gimli needed his advice on how to act around their heart-broken friend.  
  
The Dwarf was relieved to find the Lòrien archer alone in his rooms, staring out into the gardens. He was certain the Elf had heard his entrance, but Haldir made no move to acknowledge him. The archer continued gazing at nothing and appeared to be pondering personal troubles of his own. That too was uncharacteristic. Maybe there was a tradition among the Elves to mope in silence on the night before harvest moon. That did not make any sense to Gimli, but Elves were very strange. Quietly, the Dwarf said, "Legolas just broke up with Aragorn."  
  
"What?" asked the Elf as Gimli's simple statement startled him out of his thoughts. Haldir had spent the evening with Larien, a beautiful noble Lady of Rivendell. He should have been thoroughly entertained, yet he could not help feeling bored in her company. He no longer delighted in using his wits to charm the maiden. The empty promises of love and hollow words of praises no longer held the same appeal to him as it did before. It all started when he set about matchmaking for the Prince. Seeing the genuine love between Legolas and Aragorn was a constant reminder of what was missing in his life.  
  
"Legolas was about to confess his identity. Stupid bird interrupted. Aragorn said something about hating spies. Our friend took the wrong hint and said they should stop seeing each other," said Gimli, giving a short summary of the nights events.  
  
"This is bad. How long ago did this happen? Has Legolas cried yet?" asked Haldir, concerned. He knew his friend well. The Prince's cold, calculating diplomat/tactician mode was used when the shy introvert wished to hide his true self, to shield the sweet, innocent, hopeless romantic inside from harm. It was almost impossible to draw him out once he was securely in his shell.  
  
"About three hours ago. He hasn't cried. Actually, he has been acting as if nothing out of the ordinary happened," answered Gimli, the concern in the usually stoic Elf's voice was not lost on him. If he was worried before, he was very worried now.  
  
"You should have come to me immediately. We need to talk to him now," replied the Guardian as he hurriedly put on his shoes and headed towards the door with an extremely worried Dwarf close on his heels.  
  
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Legolas was crying in his dreams. He cried so much that he was drowning in the river of tears. Subconsciously, the Elf knew this was a dream, so he allowed himself to be swept away. He no longer cared, as a life without love was no life at all. He was glad when darkness overtook him; he wanted to die. It was a wish he could not grant in reality. He had duties to his father, his kingdom. Crying, dying, these were fantasies only allowed in the embrace of sleep. Once fully awake, he would need to bury these secret desires and face the world with cool composure, as a proud Prince of Mirkwood.  
  
Someone was shaking him, disturbing the icy, pitch-black void that held his soul. He wanted to be left alone in his misery, but the intruder was insistent. Against his will, the Prince exited the world of dreams into harsh reality. "May I help you?" asked the golden Elf impersonally, his face a mask schooled to portray sincerity. It was so convincing that Gimli could barely tell the emotion was false. The only thing that gave the Elf away was the missing sparkle of life that lit his eyes before tonight.  
  
"Legolas, stop acting like this! You want to be a great warrior, to earn everyone's respect with your own strength. None of that false charm, remember?" said the Lòrien archer as he shook his protégé some more, trying to get the younger Elf out of diplomatic mode.  
  
"I was stupid to think I can be anything more than a diplomat with all fake smiles or a tactical advisor in the shadows," replied Legolas, sounding shakier than he would like. He needed the strength of the Golden Prince of Mirkwood now. His shy introvert self was weak and naïve. He needed to close the barrier around his heart so others could not see how pathetic he was.  
  
"I like you because you are a brave lad who wants to prove his own worth. If you were just another a tricky Elf, I would not be helping you. This tactical advisor or diplomat you spoke of, he is not worthy of my friendship. But YOU are, Legolas," enthused the Dwarf. Though he did not know the young Elf for as long as the Lòrien archer did, he knew what friendship meant to the Prince.  
  
"Gimli.." whispered the Elf forlornly. Tears were threatening to form. He wanted to retreat to familiar grounds where he was under complete control, but Legolas could not find the way back to his refuge. His heart would not allow it.  
  
"It's okay to cry, little one," whispered the archer as he moved to gather the Prince in his arms. He knew the mask Legolas was determined to wear was slipping. He only needed to push a tiny bit more to free the hurt romantic hiding inside. As expected, at his prompting, the younger Elf lost his composure and began to sob. Stroking his hair gently, Haldir continued, "Don't worry, my friend. Everything will work out in the end."  
  
"No, it won't," sobbed Legolas. "Aragorn hates me."  
  
"Don't be silly, laddie. He loves you," comforted the Dwarf. At least his friend appeared to be normal again, which was a good thing. Seeing the beauty cry, however, was not.  
  
"He will hate me when he finds out," said the Prince with conviction. He still remembered the Man's cold words. It was too late the first moment they met in the forest before they arrived at Rivendell; too late because, from the start, Legolas was the very thing Aragorn hated.  
  
The Guardian cast a sidelong glance at the Dwarf to make sure Gimli understood what they must do. They had to tell the Man the truth; the only thing that could heal the Prince's broken heart was Aragorn telling Legolas who he was did not change their love. They had a feeling the Man was not having an easier time dealing with the break-up than their Elven friend. Aragorn was probably completely confused and just as hurt. They were sure the Man was too in love with the golden Elf to be angry with him. After all, Aragorn was the one with many names and faces. He would not begrudge Legolas for hiding his real name.  
  
In a cheerful voice, Haldir turned his attention back to his weeping friend and asked, "Let us not think on the future now. Tomorrow will be a beautiful day. Why don't we go swimming to relax a little?"  
  
Legolas knew Haldir well enough to be wary of his suggestion. The Prince was sure that whatever the archer had in mind, it would not ease his pain. When the younger Elf frowned, Gimli concurred with his conspirator. "I think that is a great idea, Master Elf. Nothing takes worries away like a swim on a hot day."  
  
Even though he was certain his friends' plans would fail to lift his spirits, the younger Elf knew he would acquiesce to keep them happy. Legolas owed them so much for their caring and support. He knew he would never have come so far without them. "Very well. I suppose we should all get some rest now so we don't fall asleep in the pool."  
  
"I think I will stay the night if you don't mind. I am slightly worried that the twins might have come to an agreement not to my liking," said Haldir as he lay down beside the younger Elf. Feeling the Prince snuggle closer to his warmth, the Lòrien Elf wondered why he was not attracted to males. Things would be so much easier if he could just love this golden Elf in his arms, a gentle soul whom he adored.  
  
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The sun shone brightly overhead as the exhausted Legolas awoke alone in his rooms. His friends had left him a note, saying they would go to the kitchens at the palace to pack some food for lunch. In addition, Haldir left him an assignment - to meet them at the pool below the lower Rivendell falls unnoticed. This would be some challenge if the recruits were still watching his rooms. Hiding within the covers of Haldir's Lòrien cloak, the Prince stealthily sneaked out of his own chambers through the windows.  
  
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The two matchmakers found Aragorn alone in his rooms, staring blankly at the door. The Man did not make any attempt to move when they entered and settled comfortably in chairs in front of him. Aragorn did not look good; the Man had dark circles under eyes that were bloodshot from the abuse he had put them through. He must have cried until no more tears would flow. As they expected, Legolas was not alone in his misery. "Want to go swimming with us?" asked Haldir, cheerfully.  
  
When no response ensued, the Dwarf chimed in, "Our little friend will be there."  
  
That got a reaction from the catatonic Man. He focused on his visitors for the first time with what appeared to be hope in his eyes. That expression vanished quickly however, as realization hit him that Haldir and Gimli knew why Lasgalen wanted to break up with him. And instead of telling him straight away, they were trying to manipulate him. That made the heart- broken Aragorn extremely mad. Menacingly, the Man stood and drew himself to full height, advancing on the two guests.  
  
"Peace, Aragorn. It's his secret to tell, not ours," said Haldir, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.  
  
"Did he ask you to come?" asked the Man, hoping his Elf regretted his decision the night before. Aragorn knew Lasgalen was not playing with his heart. It was something the Man had said unknowingly that drove his beloved away. Though he did not understand what he had done wrong, Aragorn was eager to make things right again, if the Elf would give him a chance.  
  
"No. He doesn't know we are here," replied the archer as he locked eyes with Aragorn. He saw only sadness and love in the Man's eyes. Haldir knew then that they were right to come here. Things would soon be fine between his two friends.  
  
"In that case, my going will not help. He will just run from me as he did last night," whispered the Man sadly. His Elf was not going to give him a chance after all.  
  
"Not necessarily. You have both of us on your side this time," commented Gimli, as he walked over to Aragorn and gave him pat on the back.  
  
When the Man looked doubtfully at his two scheming visitors, Haldir reassured, "Don't underestimate us, my friend. Things will be fine, as long as you are sure that no matter what he tells you, you will still love him."  
  
"Of course I will still love him. He is like my other half. I cannot stop loving him any more than I can live without breathing," vowed the Man feverishly.  
  
"Great. Be at the pool at the lower falls in two hours," said the matchmakers in unison before turning to leave.  
  
As Haldir walked out the door, he turned back and suggested, "I would get some rest if I were you. You look terrible."  
  
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The Dwarf and Elf decided it would be best to split up. Legolas should be at the pool by now. Gimli would start trying to convince the Prince to finish telling the Man his secrets, while Haldir went to get some towels and their food. The Lòrien Elf's journey through the palace was uneventful, much to his relief. Apparently, the twins decided to leave him alone for a while. With a large picnic basket and four gigantic towels in hand, the archer began his journey to the pool to rejoin the others. However, as he reached the shelter of the trees, he felt silent eyes upon him. His unwanted admirers were back.  
  
Elladan watched with a mixture of adoration and lust as the Guardian of Lòrien moved through the woods. The twins had not come to an agreement on how to handle the situation concerning the fair-haired Elf. But Elladan had the advantage of being older, even if it was just by a few minutes. It was not so much that he was stronger or wiser; it was that his words carried a little more weight in their father's eyes. But then, it was possible that Elrond favored him because he did not have a pet that constantly drove the Lord of Rivendell insane.  
  
Anyway, the brothers had gone into the gardens to settle their argument by force. But they knew each other too well to defeat the other in combat. Their long, fruitless fight generated so much noise that it drew the attention of their father. Irate, Elrond demanded to know what was happening. When they both began to speak at once, their sire wanted Elladan as their spokesman. Elladan simply told the truth, omitting a few minor details such as their motive behind trying to seduce Haldir.  
  
As expected, the Elf-lord was incensed. Since it was Elrohir's idea to begin with, he received punishment. The younger twin was to be 'imprisoned' in his own rooms for the weekend, leaving Elladan free to apologize and warn the Lòrien Elf of his brother's intentions. The older twin knew he should not be warning Haldir, seeing that the archer was on the spy's side; but he would never forgive himself if anything were to happen to the seductive beauty at Elrohir's hands.  
  
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The archer was almost to the pool when the dark-haired Elf gathered enough courage to approach him. "Hi," called out Elladan, waving frantically in his attempt to get the other Elf's attention. When Haldir turned to look at him critically, the older twin was suddenly aware of how childish his actions were. He sounded more like a lovesick hundred year-old Elf-child than the experienced hardened warrior he was.  
  
Instead of calling out greetings, the Lòrien Elf settled for giving Elladan the silent treatment. Now that Legolas was going to tell the Man, he no longer needed to charm the twins into leaving the Prince alone. Besides, Haldir decided he would have pity and not toy with the Rivendell Elves. It would be better if he just ignored the older twin.  
  
"I just want to apologize for our behavior last night. We are really attracted to you, so much so that we kind of lost control for a bit. Please forgive us," stammered the older son of Elrond, staring at the floor, too embarrassed to make eye contact with the Lòrien archer.  
  
Not acknowledging the other Elf's words, Haldir continued walking towards the pool. He was almost there now; and was surprised to see his Elven friend leave the embrace of the water to greet him. Gimli was still in the process of removing his heavy armor so he would not sink. With the Prince's newly enhanced senses, the Lòrien archer was certain he heard the one-sided conversation with Elladan. Given that the twins were always giving Legolas a difficult time, it did not make sense that the younger Elf should approach him while the Rivendell Elf was still so close.  
  
Haldir's surprise was quickly turned into a bad premonition when he saw that his young friend had a strange smile on his face. It was the sort of dreamy look one had at the end of a satisfying romantic play or touching love ballad. It certainly did not belong on the Prince's face as he regarded Haldir and Elladan. The dark-haired Elf stood silently behind the pair, watching the Lòrien Elf and Legolas. The archer could imagine Elladan's gaze fixed lustfully on his behind as he moved towards his young friend.  
  
"Hello," called out Legolas, smiling first at Haldir before turning to give Elladan a quick glance-over. As the archer noticed the young Elf's actions, warning bells began to sound in his head. The Prince was trying to determine whether he and the elder twin would make a good couple. This was definitely not good.  
  
"Hi," replied Elladan stiffly. He had made it a point to dislike everyone from Thranduil's halls; and the Prince was no exception. But since the spy was Haldir's friend, he would at least make an attempt to be civil.  
  
"Elladan is just leaving," quipped Haldir quickly, wanting to prevent any further embarrassment. Besides, the Man would be here later. It would be much better that the older twin was not here to interfere.  
  
"Right. I have to go and help ada [father] prepare for the harvest festival tomorrow night," nodded the dark-haired Elf, looking more than a bit disappointed. Though he disliked the spy, he wanted to stay with Lòrien archer without his younger sibling in the way.  
  
"All work and no play makes Elladan a dull Elf," teased Legolas, eliciting glares from both older Elves. Unabashed, the Prince continued, "Why don't you join us? We can have a team splash fight, you two against Gimli and me."  
  
At the same time, Haldir yelled "No!" as Elladan gave his enthusiastic "Yes!" Before anything else could be said, the Lòrien archer dropped the things he was carrying, grabbed Legolas by the arm and led him away, hissing, "Please excuse us for a minute."  
  
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"What do you think you are doing?" whispered Haldir when they finally moved out of earshot of the older son of Elrond.  
  
"I think he likes you," stated Legolas simply, with a grin.  
  
"He likes to take me to bed," retorted the Lòrien Elf. The Prince was too innocent to see that all Elladan felt for him was lust. Just like all the warriors who propositioned him before. Haldir had not given in before; he did not plan to start now.  
  
"He apologized. He wouldn't do it if he just wants you in bed," reasoned the younger Elf.  
  
"He needs me to be unsuspecting. They want information about you, remember?" argued the archer, trying to explain the obvious to the sweet Prince.  
  
"No, if that's the case, both of them will be here. Elladan likes you," said Legolas with conviction.  
  
"You are not there last night when they fought over me like a piece of meat. He lusts after me. And he is not joining us," concluded Haldir, wanting to stop this discussion. The objective today was to get Aragorn and his friend back together; not examine the twins' intention towards him.  
  
The Prince's jaw dropped open in shock before the expression was replaced by a very wide grin. "I think he was fighting his own brother to defend you honor. That's just proof of how much he cares, no?"  
  
"You are hopeless!" exclaimed Haldir in frustration. Why did the young Elf have to see the best in every person he met?!  
  
"Maybe I am. But he is staying. He leaves, I leave," replied Legolas calmly, allowing the archer to see that he was serious.  
  
Since Aragorn was coming later in the day, it would not do for the Prince to leave now. As much as he hated the idea of Elladan joining them, he would have to accept it. "Fine. If he tries anything, I leave," said Haldir in defeat as he headed towards the pool.  
  
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Elladan had been standing there for a while now. Part of him told him to leave. The spy was helping him; but he did not wish to owe Legolas any favors. The other part was hopeful, praying to Elbereth that the Prince would convince Haldir to let him stay. The thought of spending the day in the Guardian's company was extremely appealing. And the thought of swimming in a pool with him was enough to make blood rush to Elladan's lower body. He wondered what the Elf would be wearing. A fantasy of Haldir standing in the pool, naked, with beads of water rolling down his very desirable body suddenly assaulted him, overruling all thoughts of leaving. Oh, please, Elbereth, don't let Legolas rescind his invitation!  
  
Gimli had finished removing his armor and was wearing a comfortable loose shirt of white cotton and breeches. He heard Legolas' invitation. The Dwarf could guess his roommate's intentions, after walking into a practically naked Haldir who was expecting the twins. Still, Gimli doubted the wisdom of inviting Elladan, given that Aragorn would be here. But then, the Prince did not know their plans. After watching the dark-haired Elf stood there transfixed, at a lost of what to do for over five minutes, the Dwarf felt a tinge of pity for his Elven commander.  
  
Gimli was about to call out to Elladan when the two fair-haired Elves returned. Haldir marched stiffly to the older twin while Legolas strode leisurely to the pool. The Lòrien archer gave the dark-haired Elf a haughty glance before pointing at the things he dropped earlier. "If you are going to come along, at least make yourself useful."  
  
Without hesitation, the Rivendell Elf picked up the picnic basket and towels. Haldir had begun to make his way towards the pool without giving Elladan a second look. But the cold treatment seemed to have no effect on the elder twin's enthusiasm as he eagerly hurried to walk beside the seductive beauty that ruled his dreams the night before.  
  
"Elladan is my commander. It's not nice to make him carry all our things," commented the Prince, looking at his older friend with disapproval. He knew the Lòrien Elf preferred females; but after so many years of dating, the Guardian was still single. Perhaps it was time for his friend to open up to new possibilities. Besides, he was certain he had not erred in his judgment. The elder twin liked Haldir.  
  
Haldir merely gave the Prince a death glare. Instead of having the desired effect, Legolas merely giggled as he dived back into the water. Despite his loyalty and protectiveness to his innocent friend, the Lòrien Elf had this sudden desire to shake him rather violently. Haldir was well experienced in the matters of romance; but the situation was quickly becoming very embarrassing.  
  
Instead, the archer focused on the problem at hand. They had less than two hours to convince Legolas to tell the Man the entire truth. He preferred not to have Elladan as an audience; but since his presence was inevitable, the silver-haired Elf thought he might as well start now. "You should be the one to talk. Aragorn is your commander and it's not nice to break up with him without giving a reason either."  
  
Gimli swore softly at the Lòrien archer's bluntness. It was not like Haldir to be so direct. He glanced worriedly at his gentle friend and saw that the playfulness had gone out of his eyes. Instead, the golden Elf looked as if he was about to start crying again. The Dwarf quickly stepped in and admonished the Guardian's choice of retort. "We are here to have fun today. Let us not talk about these unhappy things." He walked past Haldir, giving him a sharp glance and a small shake of the head, before taking the large picnic basket off Elladan's hand.  
  
Seeing the Prince's expression, Haldir knew he had been too harsh with his words. The Guardian was ashamed of being so callous. He had known Legolas for a long time; the young Elf needed encouragement and prompting, not judgments on his actions. In his haste to divert Legolas' attention from his personal life, he had hurt his friend's feelings. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."  
  
"It's alright. It was a just observation," muttered the Prince as he ducked into the water and swam away.  
  
"That didn't go well," said Gimli as he lay down their food before looking at Haldir expectantly. He knew both Elladan and Legolas could hear his comment, but at this moment he could not care less. They needed a plan, and a good one at that, if they were to help the Prince and Man fix their relationship.  
  
For a long moment, the Lòrien Elf locked gaze with the Dwarf. Apparently, an agreement had been reached between the two matchmakers through their silent 'communication'. Both nodded before Haldir spoke again, "I think you should tell him everything."  
  
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Though curiosity was burning inside Elladan, he kept silent. The spy and his allies' actions were not making any sense to the Rivendell Elf. If Legolas was using Aragorn for information, why did he break up with the Man? That was just counter-productive. And why would Haldir and the Dwarf wanted the Prince to confess to being a spy? They seemed to be Legolas' loyal supporters; why would they urge him to do something that would jeopardize his mission? And to do so openly, with Elladan as witness!  
  
A possibility drifted into the older twin's mind that he did not consider before. The Prince was actually in love with his foster brother! That explained the strange scene before him, as Legolas stopped swimming and stood amidst the pool. The golden Elf's face was wet; but since he was submerged in water less than a minute ago, Elladan could not be sure if the streaks of moisture running down his cheeks were tears. Gazing sadly at his reflection, the Prince whispered, "Why? It will only make things worse."  
  
"You won't know unless you try, laddie," reasoned Gimli, moving closer to the water. The truth was that he never liked swimming. He was a Dwarf, and much preferred being in solid ground than in the water. But since Haldir suggested the activity as a cover for their scheme, he had no choice but to concur.  
  
At that unfortunate moment, a bee flew by and was offended by Elladan's feet on the flower that it always collected nectar from. As revenge, the said insect stung the Elf through his thin leggings, causing the older twin to yelp in pain, thus, drawing everyone's attention to his presence. To say the dark-haired Elf was embarrassed was an understatement. He was blushing from head to toe, though that could be due to his allergies to bees. But regardless, he was about to mutter a "sorry, just forget I am here" when he decided that the idea of Legolas being together with Aragorn was not too bad, seeing the spy was actually in love with his foster brother.  
  
Elladan was upset that Thranduil sent someone to spy on them; but he understood that his own father would do the same if all the commanders of the Joint Army were from Mirkwood. And at least, this Prince was polite and eager to do well in his training. Any other from Thranduil's halls would be pompous, disrespectful and, all in all, unpleasant to be around. And if anyone else were in Legolas' position, they would not hesitate to use Aragorn to fulfill their mission. The golden Elf was not that bad. There was also the fact that the Prince wanted to help Elladan pursue his heart's desire. But that, of course, weighed very little in the older twin's judgment, Elladan being an impartial and objective son of the Lord of Rivendell. He just wondered if Haldir would like him more if he helped bring Legolas and Aragorn back together, that's all.  
  
"Actually, you probably won't be telling him anything that we haven't told him already," muttered Elladan, staring at the ground. All eyes turned to stare at the dark-haired Elf, who continued to stare at the floor as he fidgeted with his fingers.  
  
"What did he do? Was he angry with me?" asked Legolas hopefully. He knew the twins knew his secret; but he did not expect them to have told Aragorn already.  
  
"Um.. What he did he do...right.. um... besides wanting to kill us for slandering you..." stammered the older son of Elrond as he glanced up to see three people staring at him. When Haldir arched his brows at his remark, Elladan returned his gaze to the floor.  
  
"He doesn't believe you then," whispered the Prince, disappointed. It meant that how the Man reacted to the twins' allegations was of no significance; Aragorn would still hate him when he discovered the truth.  
  
"That's not the point. The point is that the Man is head-over-heels in love with you!" exclaimed Gimli. He was surprised that the older twin was helping them. But then, the tricky Elf could be using this as an opportunity to gain evidence to expose Legolas in public. One could never trust an Elf. Still, he was determined to make the best use of Elladan's revelation.  
  
"Aragorn deserves an explanation. He loves you every bit as you love him. Ending this should not be your choice alone. Tell him and let him decide, little one," reasoned Haldir before removing his shirt and shoes to join the Prince in the water. Holding Legolas gently by the shoulders, he pressed, "You know this is the right thing to do. That was why you started your confession last night. Now is the time to finish it."  
  
Burying his face in the Guardian's chest, the young Elf replied weakly, "Yes. May Valar give me strength to accept whatever decision Aragorn makes." 


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. Sorry for lack of updates, was away without computer access this weekend. Story is almost ending. Maybe two or three chapters more, 25 sounded like a good number =) This chapter is not funny. Just lots of things covered.  
  
... = thoughts or my random commentaries.  
  
I took a scene from the movie Never Been Kissed and changed it a bit to fit the story. Thought I should acknowledge that here =)  
  
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Chapter 22:  
  
Aragorn was too excited to sleep. In fact, he was too excited to even stay still. As he paced in the confines of his rooms, he considered going to the pool now; but he was afraid his two match-makers might actually need the entire two hours to convince Lasgalen to tell him everything. The Man thought he would put the two hours to good use, like practicing swordsmanship with Elladan.  
  
When he arrived at the elder twin's rooms, he was dismayed to find the elder son of Elrond gone. That was unusual, since it was tradition for the twins to not get out of bed until noon on the weekends during their stay in Rivendell. Aragorn wondered what was so important that brought his foster brother away from his usual rest. His musing was cut short when he heard loud crashing noises coming from Elrohir's chambers. Curious, the Man headed towards the younger twin's rooms to investigate.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Aragorn as he surveyed the disarray in his foster brother's rooms.  
  
"I am rearranging my furniture," answered Elrohir sarcastically as he overturned another chair to investigate the space under it.  
  
Before the Man could make a reply, a very excited Milo jumped him. Feeling in a particularly generous mood, Aragorn opened his arms and caught the hyperactive dog, holding it still against his chest. He expected the little critter to struggle or bark or try to bite him, but it did none of the above. The small canine simply stilled in the Man's arms, nuzzling its head tightly against him.  
  
At this moment, Milo thought it was in dog heaven. Its beloved was not angry with him or chasing him around. Aragorn was actually holding him!! If he patted him on the head too, Milo swore he would pray every day to the Valar to thank them. As if hearing its wishes, the Man began to stroke its fur absent-mindedly. The dog moved to bite itself on one of its legs to make sure it was not a dream. Biting down a yelp of pain, since it did not wish to distract Aragorn from caressing its head, Milo began to thank the Valar silently.   
  
"Where is Elladan? You two are seldom apart," asked the Man, still wanting to find the older twin for a match.  
  
"I don't know. And until I finish rearranging my furniture, I don't care," hissed Elrohir, now trying to move the large dresser to check the ground underneath.  
  
The younger twin took after Lord Elrond in terms of his abilities as a healer. A long while ago, when he was experimenting with herbs to make a more powerful anesthetic, he created a hallucination potion accidentally. The Lord of Rivendell bid him not to make the potion again, for fear of its misuse. Elrohir complied with his father's wishes; he only kept the original medicine under his bed.  
  
But Milo, being a dog, took the potion and hid it somewhere. The younger twin had questioned his trouble-making pet at length, but unlike the Elves, dogs had a very short-term memory. It only knew the potion was somewhere in the room still, but the exact location was forgotten. Until Elrohir found it, he had no intention of seeing his elder brother. Drugging Elladan at the harvest festival would be payback for his 'imprisonment'. He could not think of a better revenge than seeing the older twin make a fool of himself in front of the entire Rivendell.  
  
Seeing that he would not be able to make conversation with the busy Elrohir, the Man put the small dog back onto the floor and said, "I hope you find what you are looking for."  
  
As Aragorn left the younger twin to his scheming, he decided he could not wait any longer. He knew that a male should always arrive a bit early on a date; it was a way to show how much he valued his companion of the evening. Though an hour was a little bit excessive, Lasgalen was special. With as much trepidation as excitement, the Man headed towards the pool. After the golden Elf told him the truth, he would profess his undying love. Today would be the day he proposed to take his beloved's hand in marriage. He knew now he would never be whole without his Lasgalen.  
  
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The two matchmakers were determined not to allow the Prince mope until the Man arrived. If they knew it would be this easy to convince Legolas, they would have asked Aragorn to come earlier. But what was done was done; all they could do now was to entertain the young Elf until his beloved arrived. Unluckily for Elladan, their plan involved dunking him into the water, clothes and all.  
  
Being enchanted by the seductive beauty of the bare-chested Haldir, the son of Elrond did not stand a chance against Gimli when he was tackled and thrown into the water. All the Elven warrior could do was to take the Dwarf with him. When they both emerged, the drenched and spluttering Gimli seemed an amusing sight to the two older Elves, who began laughing. Being a good friend, Legolas jumped to his friend's rescue, splashing the laughing Elves with a hefty dose of water. A splash fight ensued as the Prince predicted, Haldir and Elladan against him and Gimli.  
  
They were so focused on their opponents that they did not realize that Aragorn was approaching. It was not until the Man stood at the edge of the pool, in silent admiration of his golden Elf's beauty that Elladan saw him. "Temporary truce!" he yelled, eyes signaling to his companions of the position of the newcomer.  
  
"All right. It is past noon, I should go back and feed Estel," replied Gimli, as he waded towards the shore. Giving the Man a meaningful look, the Dwarf disappeared into the forest. But he did not go far, wanting to stay close to his friend in case his help was needed.  
  
"Elladan, will you walk with me a little?" asked Haldir, as he grabbed the dark-haired Elf's arm and led him deep into the forest, out of earshot of the couple, leaving the Prince free to make his confession to the Man he loved.  
  
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The two lovers simply stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Neither moved or spoke, they just stood, gaze locked, allowing the other to see their emotions through their eyes, the hesitation, the longing and the love they shared. Taking a deep breath as if bracing himself for an attack, the Prince finally began to move towards Aragorn, never allowing his gaze to falter as he closed the distance between them. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."  
  
Smiling in encouragement, the Man took his Elf's hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "Tell me then."  
  
"I am not who you think I am. My name is not Lasgalen; it is Legolas. I am..." His confession was cut short when he sensed enemies closing in on his Dwarven friend close by. The Prince knew Gimli had remained out of concern for him.  
  
"Gimli!" exclaimed the Elf as he pulled his hand out of his beloved's and rushed for his friend. Sensing Legolas' urgency, the Man hurried after his Elf, wishing to help avert the impending disaster that interrupted their conversation.  
  
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Aldarion and two of his friends decided they would play a trick on the Dwarf. Now that the beautiful Lasgalen was no longer the target of their pranks, they thought to pick on the other obvious misfit in their camp. Yulion resigned as the leader of their group the day before, wanting to distance himself from his mischievous friends to gain favor in Lasgalen's eyes. There was no clear successor to the position, since Aldarion, Calimehtar and Acamalion were all equally 'qualified'. Thus, Aldarion thought to distinct himself from the others by encasing the much-despised Dwarf in mud.  
  
They sneaked behind the unsuspecting Gimli, with a bucket of sludge in hand. However, before they could dump the mud onto the Dwarf, Legolas rushed onto the scene. The Prince seized his friend, pulling Gimli out of the way. In the process, he bumped into Aldarion, causing the bucket to slip out of the other Elf's hand into the air. As the law of gravity dictated, what went up must come down. The muck rained upon the three trouble-making Elves, eliciting inhuman shrieks from the now sullied recruits.  
  
"You ruined EVERYTHING! You don't deserve to be accepted as one of us!" yelled Aldarion at the Prince, not caring at the moment how beautiful the shirtless Lasgalen was.  
  
"You are a disgrace to the Elves," echoed his friend.  
  
"Well, let me tell you something. I don't care about being one of YOU! I am more than a thousand years old. I'm here as an undercover investigator for Mirkwood and I have been beating my brains out trying to impress you. You people, you spend your lives keeping others down because it makes you feel important. But why him? What has Gimli ever done to you? Let me tell you something about this Dwarf. He is unbelievable. When I was new here, he befriended me - no questions asked. If standing by a true friend made me into 'a disgrace to the Elves', I would gladly and proudly wear that name."  
  
Legolas spun round to stalk off with Gimli in tow; but was immobilized by the sight of Aragorn staring at him in disbelief. The Man must have heard his tirade. He waited for his beloved's judgment, but after many long minutes, no words came. The expression of shock was still plastered on Aragorn's face. Unable to bear the emptiness in the Man's eyes any longer, the Prince released his friend's arm and fled deep into the forest.  
  
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Gimli thought of pursuing his roommate, but he knew it would be useless. The only one Legolas wanted to speak with was his human commander, who was still in shock. While the Dwarf was still pondering his course of action, the infuriated Elves prepared to attack him. The depth of Lasgalen's loyalty touched them; but they all thought a Dwarf could never be worthy of such devotion. The fact that Gimli had won the golden Elf's affections only incensed them more and fanned their hostility towards the Dwarven warrior.  
  
But before they could jump Gimli, Aragorn finally came out of his trance to yell his commands, "Return to the barracks at once. All three of you are banned from attending the harvest festival tomorrow night. If I catch any of you trying to play a prank on Gimli again, you will be expelled. Am I clear?"  
  
Realizing that they were in deep trouble and not wanting to anger the Man, the three recruits nodded and fled without another word. When the Elves were out of sight, Aragorn turned to Gimli and asked, "Where is Legolas? I need to talk to him."  
  
Smiling at his human commander, the Dwarf pointed to the direction his Elven friend had gone. Aragorn wasted no time in hurrying towards his Elf. Watching the Man's running form, Gimli whispered fondly, "Good luck, laddie."  
  
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Legolas ran blindly through the forest. In his pain, he failed to watch his path and collided with another creature. "Legolas! Thank god I found you!"  
  
When the Prince looked up, he was surprised to see his eldest brother, Ramiren. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"You told me to come get you if the spiders move past the mountains or if our scouts sighted Orcs along Anduin, right?" asked the older Elf. Seeing his brother so un-composed, he was not sure if he had made the correct decision to come.  
  
"How long ago did this happened?" inquired Legolas urgently. The information his brother brought jolted him immediately into tactical advisor mode for it was very grave news.  
  
After the defeat at Orophin pass, the spiders learnt to fear an ambush in the mountains. They must be driven out of their lairs by something they fear more than the strength of the Elves. The Dark Lord's forces based in Dol Guldur must be marching through Southern Mirkwood. In addition, a large reserve of Orcs resided in Ered Mithrin; it had been one of Legolas' worries for years that they would attack his kingdom from the North. The fact that these creatures were traveling downstream on the Great River meant they were about to join forces with the troops from Dol Guldur. Sauron was amassing a huge army to make his war against the Elves.  
  
"Two weeks," answered Ramiren, disliking the urgency in his youngest brother. This must be extremely serious for Legolas to sound this worried.  
  
"TWO WEEKS! I asked you to come at once if any of those things happens!" exclaimed the young Prince as he grabbed his older brother and shook him not so gently.  
  
"Sorry, but father wanted to give you time to find some incriminating evidence against the commanders of the Joint Army. He wanted to call council to demand a re-election. So did you find anything?" asked Ramiren as he extracted himself from his youngest brother's death grip. Legolas had gotten stronger since the last time they met, which was a good thing.  
  
"No," said Legolas in frustration. Two weeks! The huge army could have been at the border of his lands by now.  
  
"There must be something. Blatant favoritism, getting involved with their students, come on, just give me something, anything!" pleaded the older Prince. This was bad news. Thranduil would be furious if his younger brother returned empty-handed.  
  
The young Prince was no longer listening to his brother. His mind was already working out the possible strategies to save their kingdom. All these intrigues would be meaningless if Mirkwood was destroyed. However, Ramiren, still not realizing the gravity of the situation, yanked his brother's arm to get his attention and insisted, "Not even the human?"  
  
His question was echoed by a whisper in the forest. The older Elf searched their surroundings and found Aragorn standing at the edge of the clearing. Immediately, Ramiren quieted, recognizing the hurt and anger on the Man's face. He knew the leader of the Dunedan by reputation. One never escaped Aragorn's wrath unscathed. Seeing his brother stare in muted horror behind him, Legolas turned and was greeted by the sight of his seething human commander.  
  
"Aragorn, it's not what you think. I...." pleaded the Prince as he closed the distance between them, realizing the Man had heard their conversation. Gently, the Elf moved to place a slender hand on his beloved's arm.  
  
"Don't touch me!" exclaimed the Man, flinging the Prince's arm away with force. Without another word, Aragorn turned and stalked away.  
  
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Haldir and Elladan walked in companionable silence through the woods. The elder twin had been working up his courage to break the silence; he knew he could not ask for a better chance to get to speak with the seductive Lòrien Elf alone. "So, are you currently seeing anyone?" There, he said it! But as soon as the question left his mouth, Elladan realized it was too personal and was more likely to receive a death glare than a response.  
  
To Elladan's surprise, the archer answered, "No. But it really is none of your business since I am not into guys."  
  
Encouraged by Haldir's response, or more appropriately by the fact that Haldir responded, the dark-haired Elf continued, "Why not?"  
  
"Because all they want to do is to sleep with me. If I just want a bed partner, I prefer to have a female. It is more enjoyable on my part, at least," answered the Lòrien Elf. Truth be told, he did not even know why he bothered to reply. It really was none of Elladan's business. But he was troubled by his inability to find someone to share his life with. Legolas was troubled enough without hearing his problems; he supposed he just wanted someone to listen to him vent.  
  
"Not all of them," replied Elladan softly as he watched the archer. At the moment, the experienced Guardian seemed so young and vulnerable. The sight roused in the elder twin a strong urge to hold the Lòrien Elf gently to offer comfort, to shield him from all the lusty males that plagued his life before.  
  
"Really?" asked Haldir with a bitter laugh as he dropped the towel that hid his desirable body. His supple chest was bare; his tight wet leggings left nothing to the imagination. His lustrous silver hair, slick with moisture framed, his sculpted face and slender neck. Beads of water clung suggestively to his seductive form, begging to be licked off by a skillful tongue. The only thing that stopped the Rivendell Elf from moving was the intense green fire that burnt in Haldir's eyes as they bore into his, forever searing this moment into his soul. "Look at me, Elladan. Can you honestly say you don't want to sleep with me?"  
  
The older twin knew how important his answer was. He knew he could not lie; his body would betray him. Besides, he did not want to. He wanted to bed the Lòrien Elf; and for once, he was not ashamed to admit it. But he also wanted much more than a couple nights of passion. Haldir was worth much more than that.  
  
Moving so he stood only a few inches from the archer, Elladan took the fair- haired Elf's hand as he looked into the hazel-green eyes that held his. "No. But that does not mean it is the only thing I want." With that whisper, the elder twin brought the archer's hands up to his lips for a feather-light kiss.  
  
"Elladan.." sighed the Lòrien Elf as he leant forward, wishing to know how the dark-haired Elf's lips would feel against his own. Legolas had always said that one could tell by a single kiss whether someone was the right person. Haldir could not think of a more appropriate opportunity to test the theory.  
  
The magic of the moment was broken when an enraged Man charged into the scene, past the two Elves. Perplexed, Haldir called out to his human friend, "What's wrong? Where is Legolas?"  
  
To his surprise, Aragorn stopped, spun round and stalked towards him. Towering over the fair-haired Elf, he gripped the archer's shoulders painfully and hissed, "Don't ever mention that name in front of me again." After giving his warning, the Man turned away and continued his march back to the palace.  
  
Seeing the puzzlement and worry on the face of the object of his affections, Elladan placed another kiss on Haldir's hand before speaking, "Don't worry. I will go talk to him. You go find your friend. Unlike us Elves, my foster brother has quite a fiery temper. He will calm down in a bit." Upon exchanging understanding glances, the two Elves set off to look for their respective targets.  
  
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"Where are you going?" asked Ramiren as he followed Legolas towards the palace in Rivendell after retrieving his clothes and shoes from the pool. His youngest brother was moving fast; running with the grace and agility of a well-trained warrior. The Crown Prince could not help but be surprised at the improvement the shy little one made in the course of three weeks since leaving Mirkwood.  
  
"To see Lord Elrond," replied the young Elf with deliberate calm. Inside, his heart was breaking; but his personal pain would have to wait. He had no time to for it now; his home was in danger.  
  
"Are you crazy? He will be incensed. He will have us thrown into prison or something," yelled the older Elf from behind. He would like to catch Legolas by the arm and stop him. But his younger brother was moving too fast for him to carry out his plan.  
  
"No, Ramiren. He will be incensed if I don't go see him," answered Legolas without looking back. This was what he did best - diplomacy. It was better to face the situation head on when he still had control than to leave it to the twins to paint it into something more sinister.  
  
Seeing that he had no choice, the Crown Prince of Mirkwood followed his youngest brother, hoping he shared Legolas' confidence and optimism. It was in this worried mood that he found Haldir tracking them. Since diplomacy was the young Elf's area, Ramiren understood his presence was not required before the Lord of Rivendell. Instead, he slowed his pace to allow the Guardian of Lòrien to catch up. Perhaps, Haldir could explain the strange interaction between the Human and his little brother.  
  
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"What are you doing here?" said Haldir, recognizing Thranduil's eldest son.  
  
"Actually, I don't know. Legolas told me to come get him if certain things happened, but he did not tell me why," replied Ramiren truthfully as the Guardian walked beside him.  
  
"What happened with Aragorn?" asked the fair-haired Elf urgently. He knew whatever went wrong must be due to the Crown Prince's presence.  
  
"I should ask you the same question, Haldir," replied the dark-haired Elf from Mirkwood, looking meaningfully at the Lòrien archer.  
  
"Your brother is in love with the Man," said Haldir simply. He had no doubt Aragorn intended to take Legolas as mate; there was no need to hide the relationship from the young Elf's family.  
  
"This is bad. He overheard me asking if Legolas found anything incriminating about him," whispered Ramiren, suddenly feeling very guilty. His little brother had only been 'in love' once, and that had been a disaster. And now, after all this time, Legolas finally found another to care for; and he had ruined it by his sudden intrusion and careless words.  
  
"That is definitely not good news. At least, Elladan is on our side now. Hopefully, Aragorn will listen to him. How is Legolas?" asked Haldir, worried about his gentle friend.  
  
"I don't know. But I hope he is not driven mad by grief when he decided to go see Lord Elrond," replied Ramiren as he sped up again, trying to stop Legolas. The young Prince was the only diplomat in Mirkwood; but the older Elf doubted he was not in the proper frame of mind to assume his responsibilities at the moment.  
  
The Crown Prince halted when the Lòrien Elf put a restraining hand on his shoulder and reasoned, "Let him go, Ramiren. Legolas is acting as the Golden Prince of Mirkwood now. He knows what he is doing. It is best to wait for him in his room at the barracks." After several long moments of deliberating his options, Ramiren reluctantly followed Haldir to the training camp.  
  
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"Mae govannen, hîr nîn, [Well met, my lord]" said Legolas with a bow as he found Lord Elrond in the library.  
  
"Mae govannen, ernil nîn, [Well met, my Prince]" answered the Elf-lord in surprise.  
  
It was not only because he did not expect to see the Golden Prince here unescorted in Rivendell; he was so lost in thoughts that he failed to notice the young Elf's approach. A warning stirred in his mind the night before; he was pondering whether he should use his gift of foresight to investigate the source of his unrest. Though it would ease his mind, it might draw Sauron's gaze to Rivendell, to the location of Vilya, the most powerful of the three Elven rings.  
  
Author's note, the following conversation was carried out in Sindarin. But for the sake of convenience, only the English translation was included.   
  
"My lord, I wish to apologize for this intrusion. Father sent me to the Joint Army as an undercover investigator," apologized the Prince, eyes downcast as a sign of humility.  
  
"Is that so? Why are you here speaking with me then?" asked Elrond, arching his brows. He was annoyed that Thranduil had sent a spy to Rivendell; but at the same time, he was intrigued by the golden beauty's intentions.  
  
"Urgent duties call me back to Mirkwood, my lord. I wish to report my findings to you before returning home to my father," replied the Prince, looking up to meet the Elf-lord's inquisitive gaze.  
  
"Report to me?" inquired Elrond quietly, puzzled by the diplomat's answer.  
  
"Yes, my lord. The right to monitor the progress of the Joint Army does not belong to my father alone. It is your right also as Lord of Rivendell," explained Legolas, with his most charming smile.  
  
Pleased by the respect the Golden Prince had shown, Elrond prompted the Prince to give his observation, "So what are your findings, my Prince?"  
  
"Before coming, as one from Mirkwood, I wanted to see one of my kin among the commanders of the Army. But after my two weeks here, I understood the trainees are in good hands. I know now that none of my kinsman could have done a better job than your fine sons or Lord Aragorn had. From my observation, there is only one single weakness in this new Joint Army. The recruits still lack maturity and open-mindedness. The Elves can no longer hold the responsibilities of caring for Middle Earth alone. We must co- operate with other Races in our fight against Sauron. You, my lord, is known far and wide for your friendship with all Races; if the trainees are taught to follow your example, the Army will undoubtedly be the mightiest group of warriors in Middle Earth."  
  
The charming Prince's speech was music to Elrond's ears. Walking to clasp Legolas' arms in a friendly gesture, the Elf-lord spoke, "You are too kind in your assessment. You spoke of urgent business, but please stay for another day, my Prince. I will be honored to have you as guest in our harvest festival tomorrow night." When the young Elf did not make an immediate answer, Elrond added with a mischievous smile, "And of course, Lord Glorfindel will be delighted to see you again."  
  
To say that the fair-haired Elf-lord had a crush on Legolas was the understatement of the year. The ancient Elven warrior got so nervous every time the Prince was close that he became tongue-tied and stuttered. To hide his anxiety, Glorfindel usually remained silent when the golden Elf visited, opting to stand behind Elrond to steal shy glances at Legolas. This was a secret between the two Lords of Rivendell; but the dark-haired Elf enjoyed teasing Glorfindel about his 'affliction' immensely. If Legolas were to attend the feast tomorrow, Elrond was certain things would be very entertaining.   
  
"I thank you for your kindness, my lord. But matters at home are pressing. I suspect Sauron's army will soon march against Mirkwood," replied the Prince, looking appropriately apologetic. Even if the Dark Lord's army were not on the move, Legolas would avoid the festival at all cost. He did not want to see the anger and hurt in his beloved's eyes again.  
  
"This is ill news indeed. I will give the order for the Joint Army to prepare for battle after the harvest feast. I know they have yet to complete their training, but time is of the essence," said Elrond, solemnly. This must be the threat he was sensing. They would be ready for the Dark Lord when he strikes.  
  
"Mirkwood thanks you for your help, my lord," responded Legolas with a small bow. "Farewell, my lord."  
  
"Good journey, my Prince. And farewell."  
  
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Aragorn rushed to the only place where he could vent his frustration, Elrohir's rooms. He should have listened to the twins; he did not believe he had fallen for Legolas' charms so easily. Many had warned him that he was too easily distracted by pretty things; but the Man had always known to keep his heart out of his affairs, until now, until he stupidly handed it to the spy from Mirkwood to rip it to shreds.  
  
Though he knew the younger twin would probably just say, 'I told you so', in many different ways, the Elf would listen to him pour his grief into angry words against the Prince. To his annoyance, his foster brother was no longer in his rooms. Just when he was about to head to the forest and practice swordplay to release his aggressions, Elladan caught him by the arm and dragged him into his chambers which were adjacent to the younger twin's.  
  
"I need to talk to you," said the older twin, stating the obvious.  
  
After seeing Elladan with Haldir, the Man was certain the older twin was with the spy on this. He had no wish to speak with him; instead of responding, he tried to shrug the Elf's arm off. When his older foster brother refused to let go, Aragorn hissed, "Let go, Elladan. Or I will make you regret it."  
  
"Aragorn, you are just upset right now. Don't let your anger drive you into do something you will regret," whispered the dark-haired Elf as he loosened the grip on the Man's arm.  
  
"If there is anything I regret, it's falling for that devious Mirkwood spy!" yelled Aragorn, shaking off Elladan's now gentle hold to begin pacing.  
  
"As one from Rivendell, I am upset that Thranduil sent someone to spy on us. But if the Prince were just using you, he wouldn't be telling you his real identity," reasoned the dark-haired Elf.  
  
"You are just saying that because Haldir wants you to! He is using you the way the spy used me," accused the enraged Man as he stalked towards his foster brother. What he did not expect was to be greeted by a hard right hook. He was so surprised by the attack that he lost his balance.  
  
"You can insult or threaten me all you want. But say another bad thing about Haldir, you will have a duel on your hands. You have no right to judge him; you don't even know him. And looking at you now, I daresay you don't even know the one you claimed to love," said the older twin before stalking off, leaving an incensed, but confused, Man on the floor.  
  
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"Everything is set. We should leave now," said Legolas to eldest brother as he walked into his room at the barracks. Not surprisingly, the older Elf did not move. He only continued to look at the young Prince.  
  
The golden Elf could feel four pairs of eyes on him, waiting for him to explain the need for his sudden departure. They all thought it was because of Aragorn, which was partly true. But before his friends could start trying to give his foolish heart hope, Legolas chose to inform them of the army that threatened Mirkwood. He needed to keep his wits if he was to save his home. There was no time to dwell on his broken heart. It was over; Aragorn would never forgive him. "Sauron's forces have amassed in the North. I suspect an attack on our lands."  
  
"In that case, what are we waiting for? I joined this army to have a chance to fight some Orcs. If Mirkwood is where the beasts are, that is where I will go!" exclaimed Gimli as he seized his battle-axes and leapt to his feet.  
  
"I will travel with you for part of your journey. I must return to Lothlòrien to consult the Lord and Lady of the Woods. The Dark Lord is cunning; he might be planning attacks on our lands as well," said Haldir, standing to clasp arms with the young Prince.  
  
"Take Estel!" crooned the bird, fluttering its wings excited in the cage. It did not wish to be left behind by its beloved.  
  
"I am sorry, little one, but I cannot bring you with us," replied Legolas as he opened the cage. The excited bird immediately flew onto the Elf's outstretched finger and attached itself there. Stroking the green feathers tenderly, the Prince spoke again, "If I take you, Arwen will be really upset. She will probably send a pursuit party after us, thinking we kidnapped you."  
  
The bird shook its small head vigorously, refusing to let go of the Elf's finger. "Estel, I am very fond of you. I promise I will find a way to take you with me without Arwen's vengeance, but you need to stay here now. Will you wait for me?" asked Legolas softly, caressing the parrot's head and back.  
  
Parrot Estel would trust the Prince with its life. If the golden Elf said he would return for it, its beloved would come to rescue it from the scary Lady who demanded it to say she was the fairest all the time. As much as the bird hated to part with Legolas, he would do as the Prince asked. Reluctantly, the parrot released the Elf's hand and returned to his cage, gazing sadly at its departing beloved.  
  
"Wait, hold on a minute," called out Elladan, rushing down the corridor. "Ada [Father] told me what you said and bid me to prepare horses for your journey. It will be much quicker than traveling on foot."  
  
"Thank you, my lord," replied the young Prince, bowing his head graciously at the older son of Elrond.  
  
Elladan was a little surprised by the formality in the young Elf's voice, but quickly recovered for a reply, "Come, follow me," as he began to lead the group to the stables.  
  
They were surprised to find Yulion waiting for them on a black stallion. "I am going with you," said the dark-haired Elf resolutely, eyes on the golden beauty.  
  
"Very well," replied the youngest Prince as he effortlessly jumped onto the back of a white stallion.  
  
"You cannot be serious. He is a mischief maker!" protested Gimli as Ramiren helped him onto the back of Legolas' horse.  
  
"He will follow us even if we don't let him join us. So why bother to stop him? There is safety in numbers after all," reasoned Legolas as he turned to cast a reassuring glance at his irritated Dwarven friend.  
  
Ramiren chose a chestnut brown mare, which left a white mare for Haldir. Before the Guardian of Lòrien mounted his horse, Elladan reached for his hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Please be careful."  
  
Blushing as he never had in his nearly three thousand years life, the Lòrien archer smiled, leant forward to give the elder twin a peck on the cheek as he whispered a quiet, 'Thank you for caring." Immediately after the contact, Haldir leapt onto his mount and trotted off. Following the Guardian's lead, the company of five set off, hoping they were not to late to counteract the Dark Lord's plans.  
  
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Aragorn left the elder twin's rooms to wander the gardens. He was in a foul mood, Legolas' betrayal still fresh in his mind. But his heart heard Elladan's words that his head ignored. What if the golden Elf actually loved him? Still that possibility offered him no comfort. The way he acted this afternoon guaranteed that he would lose his beloved. It was much better to be angry with the Prince for playing with his heart than to endure the hurt of knowing his rash behavior had cost him the love of his life.  
  
As he mentally chanted, "I am angry. Legolas does not love me...", he almost ran into his foster father. But being an ancient Elf-lord, Elrond nimbly spun out of the Man's way and asked, "What is wrong, Aragorn? Why are you so distracted?"  
  
"Nothing," lied the Man, looking at the ground. As much as he was 'angry' with the Prince, he was not about to tell the Lord of Rivendell that a spy was in their midst. Aragorn did not wish for Legolas to get into trouble with his foster father.  
  
"Very well, keep your secrets if you wish. But I want the Joint Army ready for war immediately after the harvest festival. I spoke with Prince Legolas; he suspected an attack on his home. Glorfindel will ready our troops as well. Mirkwood shall have the full support of Rivendell," said Elrond solemnly, looking at his foster son. The wise Elf knew the Man was having trouble with his love life. He would like to speak with Aragorn more on the matter when the threat against the Elves was answered.  
  
Aragorn stared at the ancient Elf incredulously. Was the Prince not a spy? Why would he reveal himself to the Lord of Rivendell? And was this threat against Mirkwood real, or something the cunning Elf made up? The already confused Man did not need any more questions to plague his mind. He wanted answers, straight from the source. Muttering a 'goodnight, my lord', Aragorn marched towards the barracks with single-minded determination. He would finish his conversation with Legolas, no matter how much more it would break his bleeding heart. 


	23. chapter 23

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review. Should acknowledge the Secret Diaries again. Certain things are inspired by Cassie Claire's writings, you will probably recognize it when you see it =) Found love poem by Richard Watson Dixon to base Aragorn's poetry on. Made some changes though. Bryan Adams song "Please forgive me" is also used =)  
  
Response to reviews:  
  
Calcus Angel and mibu no ookami: I actually agree that Aragorn has every right to be angry. I also portrayed the twins as kind of silly at times and a bit 'odd'. On the whole, I agree that the Rivendell side got the raw end of the deal. Thought I should say here that I concur with both of your opinions =) I am the first to admit I am a very biased person towards Legolas(my favorite movie Elf) and Haldir(my favorite book Elf).  
  
I also agree it is harsh for Elladan to hit Aragorn, but we are talking about one of the twins here who isn't exactly 'normal' or 'compassionate'. Elladan is definitely overreacting (Aragorn only threatens people with violence when they speak ill of Lasgalen), but as one of the incorrigible twins, hitting the Man is something in character.  
  
As for why is everyone falling for Legolas, well, he is gorgeous now, isn't he =D And of course, there is the fact that I am in love with him =) But to clarify matters, Glorfindel was smitten by the Prince long before this story began when Legolas first visited as a diplomat, so things aren't so all of a sudden.  
  
Believer: Thanks for pointing out about the horses. That's one of the things I have no experience in whatsoever. Will keep that in mind =) But the CG Legolas horse-mounting bit before the Wargs in TTT, drool.. sorry, not exactly normal today =)  
  
Author's note: Please assume all dialogues between Elves (Aragorn included) to be in Sindarin where only the English translations are included. There is no way I am going to write that many Sindarin lines. It takes me like hours to write a couple of them...  
  
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Chapter 23:  
  
Aragorn arrived at the barracks to find the Prince's room empty, not just devoid of people empty, but missing all personal belongings empty. He wondered if Legolas had fled after lying to the Lord of Rivendell. He certainly hoped not, for that would mean lots of trouble for the young Elf when he was found. There was, however, one thing that still remained, the cage that held parrot Estel. When the bird's bleary eyes poor little parrot had been crying caught sight of his human counterpart who broke its beloved's heart, it began to scream, "Bad Estel! Go away, bad Estel!"  
  
The Man was in no mood to take insults from a bird, even if it was Arwen's favorite pet. He was of a mind to go over to the cage and smother the critter in his hands when Elladan arrived. "What are you doing here?" asked Aragorn caustically, eyeing the dark-haired Elf with animosity.  
  
"Taking Estel back to my sister," answered Elladan, with enough venom to cause a lesser Man to run for cover.  
  
"Where is Legolas?" demanded the Man, seeing that the older twin knew the whereabouts of the spy and his company.  
  
"Why do you care?" retorted the older twin in a low whisper, still angry with Aragorn for insulting the Elf of his dreams.  
  
"Tell me where he is now before I decide to give you a lesson you will not forget," threatened the Man as he moved menacingly towards the older twin.  
  
Normally, Elladan would have said something to placate Aragorn or fled in fear. But tonight, the dark-haired Elf did neither. For his love, he stood his ground silently against his very scary and violent foster brother. Hands tight on Anduril's hilt, the Man advanced; he did not really wish to harm the dark-haired Elf, but he needed to know where Legolas was. He needed to finish the conversation they started by the pool today.  
  
The tension was broken by the sudden entrance of Lady Arwen, who rushed to embrace the cage that held her little pet. "Oh, I missed you so much!"  
  
"How do you know Estel is here?" asked Aragorn as he forced himself to relax.  
  
"I saw Elladan and those recruits at the stables earlier. I overheard the blond one asking him to bring Estel back to me. I just thought I will come and collect him myself," answered Arwen sweetly, cradling her 'magical parrot' joyously in her arms.  
  
When the euphoria of finding her dying pet in perfect health subsided, the Lady suddenly realized it was strange that both her brother and her lover were here in the golden Elf's rooms. Elladan, she expected, but Aragorn? "Why are you here, darling?" she asked in a sugarcoated voice. The Man knew he was in trouble just from her tone.  
  
"I wish to speak with Legolas on our relationship," replied Aragorn truthfully. He could no longer stand playing this game with his Lady. Even if the Prince was gone, he could not continue to pretend he loved Arwen.  
  
"Your relationship?" exploded the Evenstar, glaring at her lover.  
  
"Yes, I am in love with him," answered the Man, looking Arwen squarely in the eye.  
  
Before another word could be said, the enraged Arwen the destroyer launched her attacks. Invisible arms hurled the sparse furnishings of the room at the Man. Drawing Anduril, Aragorn sought to break the attacking furniture into smaller pieces to minimize the damage to his person. But before the bulky projectiles reached him, an invisible shield surrounded him, stopping the furniture in mid-air.  
  
"Stay out of this, Elladan," warned the Lady. While Elrohir inherited Elrond's healing abilities, the elder twin inherited the 'spirit magic' from their mother's side. The Lady, being the only daughter, was gifted in both types of magic. Though her eldest brother very seldom used his powers, Arwen knew she could not easily take her revenge on her cheating lover if Elladan were to interfere.  
  
"Sorry, little sister, I can't. I am on Aragorn's side on this one," replied the older twin calmly as he exerted more power to force the furniture to return to their original position. It was a show for Arwen, to let her know she could not have her way this time. Aragorn would survive breaking up with the Evening Star of the Elves.  
  
"You win this time. But this isn't over!" exclaimed Arwen as she marched out of the room, face flushed with anger at her defeat.  
  
"Wow, I didn't know you could do that!" remarked a stunned Aragorn. He never knew Elladan had magic; he had never seen the elder twin use it before in a fight.  
  
"Do you mean what you told Arwen? That you love him?" asked Elladan, ignoring the Man's comment.  
  
"Will you tell me where he went if I do?" inquired the Man quietly in defeat. As hurt and angry as he was, he could not deny that, in his heart, he still loved the golden Elf.  
  
"They left. Haldir is returning to Lothlòrien to consult the Lady of the Woods. The rest ride for Mirkwood to sound the alarm," replied the elder twin, feeling genuinely sorry for his foster brother. It hurt very much to let the Guardian go; Aragorn must felt the same way about the Prince leaving.  
  
"How long ago?" asked Aragorn urgently, grabbing the dark-haired Elf's shoulders.  
  
"It doesn't matter, little brother. We cannot go after them. We are needed at tomorrow's festival as well as for preparing the recruits for war," replied the older twin sadly. He wished to ride with Haldir, but his responsibility dictated that he stayed here. It was the same for his foster brother.  
  
Nodding numbly, the Man asked, "Do you think I still have a chance when he returns?"  
  
"I don't know, little brother. When I saw him off this afternoon, he was like a different person. He was so confident and composed, exuding a regal aura in his movement and speech. He really put Elrohir and I to shame, you know, all of us being sons of Elf-lords and all. I am sorry to I have to say this, but don't get your hopes too high, all right?" replied Elladan, pulling Aragorn into a loose embrace, animosity forgotten.  
  
After all, he had insulted Lasgalen numerous times before the same way the Man insulted Haldir this afternoon. The irony was that both of them were right in everything except what mattered the most - that despite all the intrigues, the fair-haired Elves were romantics at heart who had invested their true emotions into this adventure.  
  
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The battle lines were drawn. The alliance began when the scheming younger twin approached his sister after lunch. Tonight, at the harvest festival, both would have their revenge. The plan was simple; Elrohir would slip the hallucination potion into his brother's drink, which would be delivered by Arwen. While drugged Elladan was busy making a fool of himself, Aragorn would be 'unprotected' and the Lady would be free to do as she pleased with her former lover. It was a most satisfactory arrangement to both siblings.  
  
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Aragorn was not of a mind to attend the harvest festival. He could not stop thinking about Legolas; whether the Prince truly loved him or whether they would still have a chance of being together after what occurred. He had spent the night before and the day in a daze, staring into a distance at nothing in particular. In his mind, he rehearsed how he would act when he gets his chance to finish his conversation with Legolas.  
  
Aragorn decided that he would keep calm and remain neutral. He would ask his questions and get to know the Prince for who he really was before making his decision whether to forgive the Elf. He would not rush to take the beauty into his arms at the first promise of love, nor would he walk out in a rage. The Man had done both of those things before and that had led him here, sitting alone with a broken heart. This time, he would be ready; he would not give in so easily, no matter what his heart told him to do.  
  
His musing was interrupted when Elladan entered and laid a hand on his shoulder, "You should get ready for the feast, little brother."  
  
"Right, I suppose they would object to my 'outdoor Ranger' look," replied Aragorn with a weak smile as he stood.  
  
Sniffing loudly and wrinkling his nose in jest, the elder twin answered, "I am sure they would, filthy human."  
  
The Man gave a soft laugh and retorted, "Go do your nails or something, Elf boy!"  
  
"Well, at least I don't smell," quipped Elladan as he made himself comfortable sitting on Aragorn's bed.  
  
After giving his foster brother a mock-angry glare, the Man went into the bathing room and began preparing for the evening. When Aragorn emerged wearing only a towel, Elladan whistled and joked, "What a babe! You will surely be getting lots of attention if you go like that."  
  
"Oh, shut up! You think the black velvet suit will be okay?" asked Aragorn. The harvest festival was very important to the Elves. The Man did not wish to slight them by being underdressed.  
  
"You wore that last year, and the year before that too," commented the older twin, leaving his spot on the bed to walk to inspect the Man's limited wardrobe.  
  
"I suppose I will wear the brown one then," concluded Aragorn as he took the brown tunic and matching leggings from the dresser.  
  
"You wore that to father's birthday this year," said Elladan, taking the clothes from the Man's hand and stuffing them back into the drawer. "Here, wear this one. You've only wore it once and that was a number of years ago."  
  
"No way! That outfit is cursed! Do you remember what happened when I last wore that thing?" exclaimed the Man, jumping back to avoid touching the garments.  
  
"Yes. But that was before you realize feywine is stronger than the normal things you usually drink. It won't happen again. Besides, it's not like you have that many choices here," reasoned Elladan, flinging the clothes at his foster brother.  
  
"Excuse me if I spend more time in the wilderness fighting creatures of darkness than brushing my hair and looking pretty," retorted the Man as he caught the silver-grey tunic and black breeches. "If anything bad happens tonight, I am holding you personally responsible!"  
  
Ignoring his foster brother's threat, the dark-haired Elf laughed and left to allow Aragorn to dress. At least things seemed to be returning to normal, as each of them struggle to find their own way of dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane that was Legolas and Haldir.  
  
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The company had been riding without rest. They had left the forest of Imladris; tonight they would reach the foot of the Misty Mountains. There, they would camp for the night for the mountain roads were too dangerous for their horses to travel in the dark. Ramiren, being the fastest rider, led the group, followed closely by Haldir. The two younger Elves rode much slower, Legolas because Gimli was with him and Yulion because he wanted to ride alongside the Prince. There was not much reason for the maneuver, since talking while riding was difficult. But the Rivendell Elf truly admired the sight of the golden beauty on his mount with his tousled hair and focused expression. His appraisal was interrupted suddenly when Ramiren and Haldir both stopped abruptly and signaled them to halt.  
  
When the thundering of their mounts' hooves ceased, all the Elves, even the young ones heard it, the sound of footsteps, heading their way. "What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf, unable to hear from himself the approaching danger.  
  
"Orcs," whispered Haldir in disgust.  
  
"How many?" asked Legolas softly. Though his senses had improved enough to sense the presence of their enemies, they were not so well-honed that he could tell their number.  
  
"Three hundred, at least," replied Ramiren, his worry clear in his voice.  
  
"I am guessing that is only their advance troops. The entire mountain groans under their ruthless feet," commented the Guardian of Lòrien, realizing that it was Rivendell that Sauron planned to attack.  
  
"How can I be so stupid?! I should have known the Dark Lord will strike at Rivendell first, to wipe out the Joint Army before the troops are ready," hissed the Prince in self-admonishment. They would attack tonight, during the harvest festival when all the Elves were celebrating and defenseless.  
  
"Don't be too hard on yourself, laddie. There must be something we can do to delay them. If we can hold them until dawn, everyone at Rivendell will be ready for battle," reasoned the Dwarf.  
  
"Five against three hundred? It is hopeless. We can ride back to Rivendell to raise the alarm now," suggested Yulion, shaking his head at Gimli.  
  
"Legolas?" asked Haldir as he watched the youngest Prince furrowed his brows. He knew his friend would have a better plan.  
  
"Ramiren, ride back to Rivendell and warn them." Without waiting for another word, the Crown Prince of Mirkwood turned round and raced towards the Elven city. Seeing his brother was on the move, Legolas continued, looking at the dark-haired Elf, "Yulion, is there a dam at any of the rivers to the East of the city?"  
  
"Yes, there is one, southeast of Rivendell. It was built so that travelers and horses could just walk across. I don't see how this is related," replied the dark-haired Elf with a frown.  
  
"Perfect. Is there any settlement down stream of the river?" asked the Prince urgently.  
  
"There is a small fort built by some human hunters, nothing else. The river ends in one of the small falls in Rivendell," answered Yulion, still puzzled.  
  
"Haldir.." began Legolas, turning towards the archer.  
  
But before he made his request, the Lòrien Elf answered, "I'm on it," and rode off.  
  
"Yulion, do you think you can light an arrow on fire and shoot it?" asked the Prince, looking at the Rivendell Elf.  
  
"Yes, but..." Yulion did not even have time to finish his answer when Legolas dug out a small pouch from his pack and threw it at him.  
  
It was a gift from Saruman the White before he turned to evil. Truth be told, the Prince did not know why he brought it with him to Rivendell. It was not something one would use in normal combat, given its destructive power. But since this was Legolas' very first non-diplomatic mission, he brought along every single war-related gadget he owned that he could fit into his pack. At the moment, he was extremely glad of his overzealous preparation for the trip.  
  
"Go to the dam. Put this at the base. Get as far away from it as possible. When you hear the war-cry of the Orcs, shoot a flaming arrow at it. Be sure to be out of the flood range of the river when you do so. It will bring down the dam," instructed the Prince, looking solemnly at a very shocked Yulion. "Can you do this for me?" asked Legolas, shaking the Rivendel Elf out of his trance.  
  
"Yes, I will not let you down," promised Yulion as he rode off to the dam.  
  
"That leaves you and me, Gimli. Ready to fight some Orcs?" asked Legolas, glancing back to look at the Dwarf.  
  
"Yes!" exclaimed Gimli, very excitedly. "Let me at them!"  
  
"Great. But we are going to do this my way. It is time for Legolas, youngest Prince of Mirkwood, to show his quality," said the Prince with a cunning smile before urging his horse away from their enemies.  
  
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Things were not going well for the conspirators. Elladan and Aragorn were staying too close to the two Lords of Rivendell throughout the night for them to carry out their plans. After circling around for two hours with a goblet of drugged wine in hand, Arwen decided she could not wait any longer. This was a feast; as the most beautiful maiden there, she was flooded with offers for a dance. But because of their revenge scheme, the Evenstar could not enjoy her evening in the arms of the various handsome awe-struck Elves. The situation was unbearable. She would give the wine to Elladan now and risk exposure by the ancient Elf-lords.  
  
"Father, Lord Glorfindel, Elladan, Aragorn," curtsied the Lady as she joined the group containing her eldest brother and former lover.  
  
"The wine tonight is magnificent. Did you open the ones grandpa sent us, father?" asked Arwen, pretending to take a sip out of the drugged wine.  
  
"Yes, I am glad you like it," replied Elrond, pleased that his favorite child was enjoying herself.  
  
"Can I try some?" asked Elladan, who had always been curious about the feywine from Lothlòrien. On more than one occasion, the twins had considered stealing a bottle to try; but fear of repercussion stopped them.  
  
"Sure," replied the Lady, smiling sweetly as she handed the chalice to her oldest brother. This was way too easy, she thought in silence.  
  
What she did not expect was for Aragorn to step in and seize the glass before it reached his foster brother with a smirk. "You really need to work on your reaction time, Elladan. I am afraid you will have to get your own." The Man raised the goblet in mock salute to the dark-haired Elf, and emptied its contents with a gulp.  
  
The two ancient Elf-lords sighed at the young ones' juvenile antics as they shook their heads. But then, they were glad that the two seemed in a better mood. With the impending war, it would not do for two of the commanders of the Joint Army to mope about on the problems in their personal life. As the music softened at the end of a dance, Lord Glorfindel raised his voice and warned, "Do not drink too much tonight. We will prepare for war tomorrow morning."  
  
The two commanders of the Joint Army led the groups' answer, a resounding "Yes, my lord." Pleased at the discipline shown by the recruits and Rivendell warriors, the two Elf-lords turned their attention back to Aragorn and Elladan. To their surprise, the Man had suddenly turned pale. "Are you feeling well?" asked Elrond in concern.  
  
"Yes, I am feeling great!" replied Aragorn dreamily, wondering why his foster father was wearing a purple dress. Not just any purple dress, but Arwen's favorite purple dress. The Man felt this strange urge to tell Elrond that purple made him look like an eggplant.  
  
"Aragorn?" said Glorfindel worriedly. It was clear that something was wrong with the Man. He had been with Aragorn and Elladan most of the night, except for the glass of wine from Arwen, the Man barely had anything to drink. He could not possibly be drunk.  
  
Unluckily for Glorfindel and Aragorn, the Elf-lord had blond hair, not the same shade as the golden Prince, but one could not expect the hallucinating Man to be able to tell the difference. The enamored Aragorn grasped the fair-haired Elf's hand, knelt on one knee and professed his feelings. "To have touched one little ripple free of golden hair, or held a little hand is better than to be rolled up in vestures stiff with golden thread, or upon a throne o'er many a bowing head."  
  
"Aragorn! What is wrong with you?" hissed Glorfindel, pulling his hand out of the Man's grasp, looking in horror at the scene they just created.  
  
"Please forgive me, if I need you like I do. Please believe me, for what I say is true. Please forgive me, I can't stop loving you," hummed Aragorn, still on his knee.  
  
"I think he is mistaking you for someone else, Glorfindel," whispered Elladan to the horrified Elf-lord.  
  
"I think my foster son has been drugged," fumed Elrond, scanning the crowd for his mischievous daughter. The Man must have broken up with Arwen finally. Though he understood the Evenstar must be upset, but the timing for her revenge was horrible. There was still much they need to discuss with Aragorn tonight in preparation of their march to Mirkwood.  
  
"Elladan, take your foster brother to his rooms. Stay with him until I come," commanded the dark-haired Lord of Rivendell. His presence was required at the festival until the moon reached its zenith. As soon as he was able, he would see what he could do to bring Aragorn back to normal.  
  
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As chance would have it, as soon as the dark-haired Elf finally managed to wrestle the Man away from Glorfindel and out of the foyer, Ramiren rode into the feast.. literally. The two Lords of Rivendell were more than a bit upset to have a horse in the middle of the dance floor. They could recognize a son of Thranduil anywhere, and the intruder certainly was one of them.  
  
"Perhaps in Mirkwood, it was customary to ride a horse into a banquet. But in Rivendell, it is considered very impolite," remarked Elrond caustically with frown. Other than his father angry, Ramiren decided that was the most frightening sight he had ever seen.  
  
"I am sorry," stuttered the Mirkwood Elf. Now, the Crown Prince understood why Legolas was the only diplomat from their lands. He wondered how his shy little brother managed to speak in front of these intimidating Eldars at all. Legolas was definitely braver than he was given credit for.  
  
"As you should be," concurred Glorfindel, a little harsher than usual. But he was still deeply disturbed by Aragorn' behavior earlier.  
  
Squirming under the intense disapproving gaze of two ancient Elf-lords, Ramiren barely remembered why he was here. Before his mind melt under the heat from the Eldars' eyes, the Crown Prince managed a soft, "Orcs..here.."  
  
"What did you say?" asked Elrond gently, the young Elf's words overwriting his annoyance.  
  
At the Elf-lord's change of tone, Ramiren relaxed and delivered his message, "My lord, the huge Orc army that Legolas spoke of, it is heading towards Rivendell as we speak."  
  
"The feast is over. Glorfindel, ready our troops. Joint Army recruits, gather in the training field. I will get my sons. We ride in an hour," commanded the Lord of Rivendell as he spun round to march into the palace in search of the twins.  
  
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The small stream Yulion mentioned was in sight. The Prince dismounted and surveyed the forest floor. The ground was soft and muddy, still wet from the rain three days ago. "Here is good," he said as he unsheathed his sword and used the sheath to begin digging. When Gimli stared at his friend, Legolas teased, "Aren't you going to help me? I thought Dwarves are really good at making holes in the ground."  
  
"What is it for?" asked Gimli, still perplexed but began to help the Prince with the blunt end of his smaller axe.  
  
"It's a trap. We will prepare a couple more along the way before we go meet our enemies. The trick here is to slow them down AND enrage them. When everything is set, I will be the bait that brings them into the river. You will wait for me on the other side. Together we will fight those who makes it across," explained the Prince, half expecting his friend to disagree at his scheme. He knew Gimli preferred charging their enemies head on.  
  
The Dwarf merely stopped his digging to pat him on the leg and smiled, "You are full of surprises, Master Elf."  
  
"You think you can handle this one on your own?" asked Legolas, wanting to set up another type of trap for the Orcs. Variety was the key to success in 'guerilla' warfare.  
  
"Leave the digging to the Dwarf, Legolas," replied Gimli with confidence as he very quickly and deftly widened and deepened the hole in the ground.  
  
"Be sure to cover the pits with some branches when you are done," called out the Prince from a tree.  
  
Using the ropes from his pack and some rocks he brought from the forest floor, he set up a variety of traps. Some when triggered would drop rocks onto their victims; others would hoist their unsuspecting victims by their foot off the ground. After two hours, Legolas was pleased with the various pits, nooses and ropes that decorated the surrounding forest. They were ready. "Gimli, go to the other side and wait for my arrival."  
  
Though Gimli disliked leaving the Prince to face the Orcs alone, he knew he would be slowing his friend down if he went. Reluctantly, the Dwarf nodded, "Take care of yourself, laddie."  
  
"I will," replied the Prince as he rode towards the advanced troops of the Orc army.  
  
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His enemies were now close; though they traveled in silence, the earth shook under their feet as they marched towards Rivendell. Legolas knew his time to prove his worth had come. He must draw the troops away from their original path into his trap. One mistake, not only his own life would be forfeited; those in Rivendell would suffer the consequences. As he thought of his beloved in the Elven city, he knew that no matter what happens, he would not fail. Even if he died tonight, he would give the Joint Army this victory.  
  
Boldly, the Prince rode up to the flank of the Orc army, firing deadly arrows at the soldiers. When the beasts realized they were under attack, which took several minutes, as they were not too intelligent, they charged their single assailant en masse. Not stopping to ascertain how many of the creatures actually followed him, Legolas turned round and headed towards the traps they prepared.  
  
With single-minded determination, the Orcs pursued the Elven 'scout'. They were told that this was to be a surprised attack; if they allowed the Elf to get away, the surprise would be spoiled. In their limited intelligent, they ruled that stopping Legolas was imperative and required the attention of the entire regiment. They were not so dumb, however, to not realize that they too have bows and arrows.  
  
As they marched after the fleeing Prince, the Orcs in the front began to fire arrows at their moving target. Luckily for Legolas, the Orcs' aim was not excellent. Through the instinct of self-preservation of his stallion and his riding skills, the Elf was able to dodge the arrows. But the task was getting more difficult by the second as more and more archers began to shoot. The Prince knew that sooner or later, one was bound to hit him if this continued.  
  
Luck was again on Legolas' side. He reached the section of the forest laden with traps before the Orcs managed to hit him. Carefully, the Prince weaved through the forest, drawing the pursuing beasts into his traps. He did not have to look back to know that a number of Orcs had been ensnared. Their cries of fury were clear enough indication. Now, the creatures were no longer as keen on shooting at him; stupid as they were, they realized they should be paying attention to the ground in front. As Legolas rode towards the river followed by hundreds of enraged Orcs, all he could do was pray that Yulion would not fail him.  
  
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The Prince's prayers were answered when he heard a loud explosion. Riding at full speed, Legolas raced into the shallow river. He could hear the distant roar of the tides rushing towards him. He stopped midway and turned round to see if his enemies were following him.  
  
At the loud noises, the Orcs hesitated for a minute, before deciding to follow the fleeing Elf. In their reasoning, if the Elf thought it was safe to stand in the middle of the stream, it must be safe for them to cross the river as well. As the beasts closed the distance between them and their quarry, Legolas turned and rode across the river.  
  
The Elf and a handful of Orcs had reached the shore when the flood arrived, sweeping away over half of Sauron's advance troops. The other half was on the opposite side of the surging river, screaming in fury but unable to cross. Gimli stepped out of the shadows by the bank to join the Prince. Fighting side by side, the two warriors easily killed the few Orcs that had followed Legolas across.  
  
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"We should leave now," said Gimli as he buried his axe into the last of the beasts on their side of the river. Even the Dwarf could see the water was beginning to recede. Soon the enraged Orcs would be able to cross. As much as Gimli hated to admit it, there were still too many for the two of them to fight alone.  
  
"No, we have to delay them further to give Rivendell more time," answered the Prince resolutely, gazing at the river.  
  
"We cannot fight them alone," emphasized the Dwarf, pulling on Legolas' hand.  
  
"Not alone," said a voice in the forest as Haldir rode into view, with a band of human hunters.  
  
"We lost our fort because of those accursed Orcs. We are more than happy to fight by your side against them," announced the leader of the groups, eliciting loud cheers from his people.  
  
"How many?" asked Legolas, looking meaningful at his Elven friend.  
  
"A hundred or so. We have about thirty," replied Haldir, glancing at the opposite bank.  
  
"One to four, it's not bad. My people are excellent archers," commented the leader of their new allies.  
  
Nodding his assent to the human hunter's assessment, Legolas searched through the bodies of the slain Orcs for arrows he could use. The more they could take down before the beasts reached their shore the better. The Prince was startled out of his task by the sounding of Orc horns. He turned to look questioningly at Haldir, who was now frowning. "The main force will be here in less than an hour."  
  
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The Rivendell troops and the Joint Army were in the forests of Imladris when they heard the explosion. As the saying goes, 'great minds think alike', Lord Elrond realized it must be one of Legolas' traps, set to give them more time to prepare. The Elven armies were riding East, towards the Misty Mountains to meet the Orcs. But the sound came from south of their current position, close to one of the dammed rivers. Knowing the Golden Prince's ability to draw attention, the Lord of Rivendell knew Sauron's armies would be there.  
  
If their attacks were planned properly, this would become the greatest bloodless victory in the history of Middle Earth. Elrond signaled for the Elves to halt and gathered his two sons and Glorfindel for discussion. After several minutes, the members of the Ruling House of Rivendell parted and ordered the soldiers to dismount. Separating into four smaller units, the warriors marched towards their destinations on foot. All the Lord of Rivendell could pray for was that Legolas' wits would hold Sauron's forces at bay long enough for them to carry out their plans.  
  
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All Rivendell was empty saved for the women and children and one Man, an unconscious Man to be exact. There was no time to give Aragorn the proper medical attention because of the pressing situation. Elrond simply resorted to giving his delusional foster son a very powerful sleeping potion to prevent him from further harming or embarrassing himself in his condition. In his haste, the Lord of Rivendell had forgotten something very important - to warn his lovely daughter to stop seeking revenge against Aragorn. So it was that, as the stage was set for the battle between good and evil near a river to the Southeast of Rivendell, a more personal confrontation was about to begin in the Elven citadel itself.  
  
Would Legolas and co. be able to prevail against the odds? Would Elrond and co. succeed in defeating the Orcs? Would Aragorn survive Arwen's wrath? Only time, or should I say the next chapter, would tell.  
  
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Special thanks to Sly-chan whose review inspired me to add the last paragraph into the chapter =) 


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
A/N: Second to last chapter. I was debating whether I should make this the last chapter instead and stop the Aragorn torture. But I am so very sore from skiing. I cannot believe I am actually writing, considering that every single muscle in my body hurts like hell when I move. Anyway, point is that I am not typing as fast and is extremely tired, so I will defer writing the finale until I am not in pain. This isn't funny at all, but it is difficult to write humor when I am hurting all over =( Hope you like it.  
  
Response to reviews: Yes, there is a huge two towers influence in the last chapter. Saw the movie 7 times =) Must watch it twice more so I can beat my own record for the number of times I saw Titanic =)  
  
Yeah, I am a sort of a Faramir fan. Don't like him as much in the movie; but book Faramir is super awesome =) Put book Faramir character in movie Faramir body, Aragorn will be having competition as my second favorite =) Okay, that's just me being random there.  
  
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Chapter 24:  
  
Pacing the chamber that held the unconscious Man, the Lady of Rivendell deliberated her options. She wanted to teach her former lover a lesson, that no one who ever crossed her could escape her wrath. Yet, despite her anger, Arwen knew the importance of Aragorn to the world of Men. He was Isildur's heir, the last of the descendents from the Great Kings of Old. As much as the Evenstar wished to, she could not kill the Man or caused him any injuries that would prevent the begetting of heirs. Originally, she only planned on inflicting massive amounts of pain on her former lover, to defeat him thoroughly in combat and crush his ego of being a powerful warrior. All these, she could not do with Aragorn lying unconscious in bed; she wanted to make the Man scream and beg for mercy.  
  
It had been three hours since the Elven warriors left to meet the Orc army. Arwen had complete confidence in Rivendell's strength. Soon, her family would return victorious over the beasts of Sauron. After the drugging incidence at the feast, she knew that both her father and Glorfindel would forbid her to take action against her cheating ex-lover. She must act quickly before her chance for revenge was lost. But what could she do to an unconscious Aragorn that would soothe her injured pride?  
  
The thought of making certain that the Man would never enjoy the pleasures of the flesh again with anyone else was most appealing; but that would get in the way of his siring children for Gondor. The Evenstar was at a lost of what to do until she thought of something - a potion she learnt how to create from her grandmother, used to punish promiscuous boyfriends.  
  
Lord Celeborn had the misfortune of being the first guinea pig of the drug when Galadriel found him eyeing another maiden long ago. Instead of rendering its victim impotent, it merely caused an extremely strong urge to use the bathroom whenever he became aroused, thus making the act of bedding another a tremendously uncomfortable process. The Evenstar could not think of a more appropriate punishment for her amorous ex-boyfriend.  
  
There was an antidote to the potion, but only she and Lady Galadriel knew of it. Arwen was certain she could persuade her grandmother to not help the Man. Besides, Aragorn was a very discreet lover; he would probably live with his 'problem' instead of seeking help on something so personal. With a devilish gleam in her eyes and a cruel smile, the Lady left her ex- lover's rooms and headed for the healing room.  
  
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The first of Sauron's main forces had joined the advance troops at the opposite bank. The forest was filled with Orcs for as far as Legolas' eyes could see. The Prince knew the army would be at least twenty thousand strong, given that it was comprised of almost all the Orcs outside of Mordor. If Rivendell and the Joint Army could win this battle, the threats to the Elven Kingdom would be practically eliminated; the Dark Lord would lose all his strongholds in the North. Even with the help of Saruman and his other allies, Sauron would only be able to make war against the World of Men.  
  
Legolas knew the troops from Rivendell were on their way. Lord Elrond must have heard the explosion and figured out the location of Sauron's army. The Prince was certain the Elf-lord, being a brilliant tactician, would make best use of the opportunity to plan a surprise counterstrike, attacking the beasts from all sides. But the Elven army would need time to reach their positions on foot; riding horses would give away their presence. They must delay Sauron's hordes for at least another hour before drawing them into Elrond's traps. The river had mostly subsided; in less than half an hour, it will no longer be able to aid them. It was up to the tactical advisor of Mirkwood to find a way to stall them for another half hour.  
  
The others in his group glanced anxiously at the golden Elf, awaiting his decision. The Men were brave warriors; but they were not stupid. They knew they could not hold back the onslaught of the entire army with only thirty fighters. They would not even last a minute against their enemies. Sensing their allies' unease, Haldir broke the tense silence and suggested the obvious. "We need to retreat now, Legolas. We have given Rivendell a lot of extra time. It should be enough."  
  
Turning to look at his allies, the Prince shook his head sadly and answered, "They need another hour."  
  
"My men are brave; but they are not suicidal. We cannot help you in this fight," sighed the leader of the human hunters. As Legolas shifted his gaze onto the Man, intending to beg him to staying, he noticed a gold ring on the hunter's finger.  
  
"Wait, hold on a minute. I have a plan," pleaded the Prince as he dug through his pack. Retrieving a small pouch, Legolas straightened and looked at his allies.  
  
Being an extremely cautious person, the young Elf had taken a tiny portion of the explosive and stored it separately as backup before he left Mirkwood. The amount left was minute; using it in a simple trap would not diminish the numbers of their enemies significantly. He would need to target the officers in the army; without leadership, panic would spread, the progress of their march slowed. The Prince knew what he must do.  
  
"Please go deeper into the forest and wait in ambush. When you hear an explosion, attack. When the Orcs realize your presence, ride south-west for ten minutes before turning northwest towards Rivendell," explained Legolas, watching his allies intently to gauge their reactions.  
  
"What about you, laddie? What will you do?" asked Gimli, clearly worried. Legolas must be planning to do something dangerous by himself.  
  
"Surrender," replied the Prince calmly.  
  
"No," disagreed Haldir quietly. The Lòrien Elf knew Legolas planned to get close to their enemies and used the explosive to create panic. But he could not see how the young Elf could accomplish his suicide mission. The Orcs marched by moonlight; there was no fire among them with which the Prince could light the explosive, even if Legolas surrendered and forfeited his life. This meaningless sacrifice was something the Guardian of Lòrien would not allow.  
  
Ignoring his Elven friend, the Prince turned to the leader of the hunters and asked, 'May I have your ring?"  
  
Not fully understanding Legolas' intentions, the human frowned but handed the simple gold band to Elf. "I hope you know what you are doing."  
  
As a Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas wore a medallion with their family emblem at all times under his clothes. Carefully, the young Elf replaced the medallion on the chain with the simple gold band, wearing the ring inconspicuously around his neck. At this moment, Haldir understood his friend's plans. "It is too risky. There are too many things that can go wrong," argued the older Elf.  
  
"There is no other way, Haldir. And you know it," replied the Prince calmly, prepared to face his own demise.  
  
"Then let me do this. I am older," pleaded the archer with resignation. Haldir understood the importance of this battle. A decisive victory for the Elves would be worth the sacrifice.  
  
"No offense, my friend, but this is my arena. Besides, you may be older; but people say that one who has not loved had not truly lived. I have found Aragorn; you have yet to find your other half," reasoned Legolas as he watched the river abate.  
  
This would be the most important game of intrigue Legolas ever played in his life. His people were depending on him; Rivendell was depending on him; and most important of all, Aragorn was depending on him. Perhaps if he succeeded, the Man would forgive him; but since he did not expect to survive the night, he supposed he would never know. But then, perhaps it was better this way. "Haldir, please lead our allies into position."  
  
Gimli was about to protest; he did not understand the argument between the two Elves since they spoke in Elvish, but he knew the plan was very risky for his former roommate. The Dwarf vowed he would protect his innocent new friend before training began; he had no intention of breaking his promise. He would not allow Legolas to face their opponents alone. "Laddie.."  
  
His statement was stopped by Haldir's restraining hand. "Let us go, my friend. Legolas will do his duty and we will do ours." Forcefully leading the Dwarf away, the Guardian of Lòrien helped Gimli onto the horse. Before he too mounted, he turned to the younger Elf and saluted. "My Prince, may the grace of the Valar protect you."  
  
Smiling slightly, Legolas nodded in acknowledgement and said, "And you too, my friends." As he watched his allies disappear into the forest, he added softly, "Farewell. Live well and prosper."  
  
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Elrond led his soldiers into the forest to the Northwest of the river where the main Orc army was located. This would be where they would stage their ambush; the creatures must pass here to reach the Elven citadel. Giving clear orders, the Lord of Rivendell positioned his Elves among the trees. The ancient Elf knew their enemies had a significant advantage in numbers; but he hoped the element of surprise would be enough to tip the balance in their favor.  
  
Elrond knew his was the first group to reach their designated position, which was the closest to Rivendell. His twin sons, leading the Joint Army recruits, would attack the flank of the Orcs in the trees along the banks of the river where the beasts cross. Their goal was to drive the Orcs back towards the Misty Mountains, where Glorfindel and the best of Rivendell's warriors awaited.  
  
The success of their plans hinged on Legolas' ability to lead their enemies into their trap as well as to preoccupy the Orcs to give the Joint Army and Glorfindel time to maneuver. According to the dark-haired Elf's estimation, the other groups would need another hour to get into position. Though Elrond trusted the Prince explicitly, he could not help but worry that the young Elf would be unable to stall Sauron's forces once the surging river subsided. Wise as the ancient Elf-lord was, he could not think of a way to hold back the opposing army with Legolas' limited resources. As much as the idea of a Mirkwood Elf being more intelligent than himself irked the Lord of Rivendell, Elrond sincerely hoped the young one would be able to find a solution where he could not. The fate of Imladris rested on the Prince's hands; all Elrond could do was pray and wait.  
  
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Legolas stood alone on the bank, watching as the first of the Orcs began to tentatively step into the stream. Tying two spare quivers to his horse, the golden Elf mounted. Raising his sword above his head and making a loud battle cry for show, the Prince charged into the river, firing arrows as he rode into the swarm of beasts. His time had come.  
  
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Arwen returned to the Man's room with a bubbling concoction in hand. Since her former lover was unconscious, the Lady made several modifications to the potion for easier application. Instead of requiring Aragorn to swallow the drug, all she needed to do was to pour the concoction over a certain part of his anatomy and revenge would be hers. Unbeknownst to the Evenstar, but luckily for the Man, Arwen's visit to her ex-boyfriend's chambers had not gone unnoticed. As she stood over Aragorn's prone form, watchful eyes in the tree outside the window narrowed. Finally, after all these years, its chance to shine had now come.  
  
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Arrows spent, the Prince plowed through the advance troops on horseback with his sword, moving swiftly to avoid the beasts' swords and crawling hands. But there were so many Orcs that Legolas soon found himself immobilized among a sea of the foul creatures. The Elf knew it was time to begin his plan in earnest. With calculated precision, the Prince leaned to the left, pretending to strike at a particularly far-away enemy. As expected, the overextension gave the Orcs the opportunity to pull him down from his horse. As soon as the Elf hit the ground, he curled his arms around his head for protection. When the beasts kicked and clawed at him instead of dealing out mortal wounds with their swords, Legolas smiled secretively through the pain. His previous performance had earned him a chance to be brought to the high-ranking officers; his scheme had a chance of succeeding.  
  
"Enough!" commanded one of the officers.  
  
Grunting in disgust, the circle of Legolas' tormentors parted to allow a large Orc, dressed in black armor, to pass. Towering over the fallen Elf, the beast yanked the Prince to his feet by his hair and pulled his head back for a closer inspection. Legolas had to try very hard to suppress his nausea, as he smelt the creature's foul breath on his face. "Pretty little Elf."  
  
"Stop playing, Bagdud. Bring him here," interrupted another voice impatiently.  
  
At the sound of the command, the large armored Orc released Legolas' hair and moved behind him, shoving him forward through the parting sea of beasts to what appeared to be a 'council' of the officers. When he reached the center of the circle, the Elf was pushed onto the ground roughly. Though his entire body hurt from the previous abuse, the Prince refused to make any sound to indicate his discomfort. He knew he must appear completely confident for his ploy to work. With the power of sheer will, Legolas rose to his feet and stared defiantly at the one he identified as the 'highest ranking' leader of the army.  
  
His tactics worked. The Orc frowned and commented, "You do not seem overly concern of your situation, little Elf."  
  
Instead of replying, the Prince merely offered him an 'I-know-something-you- don't' smile. Perplexed, the semi-intelligent beast demanded, "How did you command the river to attack us?"  
  
These were Sauron's Orcs; they were not familiar with Saruman's devices. All the creature knew was that this single Elf was responsible for the loss of most of their advance troops; and he had done so by calling on nature to strike at them. Elves were in tune with nature, but normal ones did not have power over it. This Elf must be special, with powerful magic. Yet, here he was, captured, but unafraid. The semi-intelligent commander suspected this was another one of the Elf's schemes.  
  
Legolas could see the suspicion in the Orc's eyes. The beast knew he was up to something. It was all well and good since he needed his opponent to believe he had a secret weapon; that he was still in control of the situation, despite his captivity. The trick would now be to make the beast believe he carried the One Ring, whose secret only fire could tell. Once again, instead of answering, the Prince gave his interrogator a smile, this time even more condescending than the last.  
  
The Orc leader was not going to stand by and allow his prisoner insult him. Stalking to the Elf, the beast delivered a blow to the side of Legolas' head that sent him flying to the floor. Despite the stars before his eyes, the Prince knew it was time. He moved his hand to clutch at the ring, as he muttered softly in Elvish, "Ring of Power, grant me this..."  
  
Legolas' words were not lost on the creature. Hastily, the Orc knocked his hand away and tore open the front of his tunic to clearly reveal the single gold band the Elf wore on a chain around his neck. With force, the beast yanked the chain off the Elf and thundered, "What is this?"  
  
As soon as the ring left his possession, the Prince immediately looked terrified. His performance was enough to convince the semi-intelligent Orc that the gold band was the source of his power. As the beast roughly pulled him onto his feet with a menacing smile, Legolas allowed himself to shudder at the creature's next words. "So, you are a Ringbearer."  
  
This time, the Prince gulped visibly as the Orc leader's studied his face, trying to give the impression of a scared Elf trying to not show his fears. This was the moment when he found out whether his plan would succeed or fail. If the creatures wished to ascertain the identity of the ring, they would have to light a fire. Legolas would use his explosive, taking all the high-ranking officers of the Orc army with him in death. If they did not, the Elf would die a slow and painful death. The situation was out of his hands now.  
  
Three weeks ago, the tactical advisor would never have taken a chance with such a dangerous plan; but now he understood that some things were worth risking everything for, like helping to give his people this victory, like falling in love with Aragorn. Whatever happens, he would have no regrets of the choices he made tonight. Legolas remembered his talk with Ramiren about the qualities he lacked that prevented him from being a fighter. If his brother could see him now, the older Prince would have no choice but to admit that Legolas was an Elven warrior, with daring that matched his intelligence. Before his end, the young Elf was able to fulfill his dreams - the Joint Army had given him that; Aragorn had given him that.  
  
The Prince's musing was cut short when a different Orc officer asked to their leader softly, "Do you think it is the one our Lord is looking for?"  
  
The leader snapped out of the appraisal of his now 'helpless' captive and commanded, "We will see. Get a fire going!" Suppressing a smile of relief, Legolas allowed his captors to shove him onto the ground once more. His gamble had paid off.  
  
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From a distance, Yulion could hear the loud clattering created by the restless Orc army. Most of the foot soldiers were unhappy with the delay; but they knew better than to disobey their leader. The recruit wondered why the creatures still lingered here after the river had subsided. Soon, a small fire illuminated a circle of Orcs clad in thicker armor than the rest of the beasts. The dark-haired Elf imagined those must be the officers of the army, holding some sort of council meeting. But why would they do that during a march to war?  
  
A glitter at the edge of circle caught Yulion's keen eyes; turning his attention to its source, the recruit's blood froze in terror. By the flickering light of the flame, he could see the figure of the golden Elf huddled on the floor, looking forlorn and apprehensive. At that moment, Yulion knew that he could not allow the Prince to remain in the Orcs' hands. Even if there were too many for him to fight, he would at least die trying to rescue his heart's desire. Bracing himself, the Rivendell Elf urged his horse forward and rode into the beasts that held his beloved Legolas captive.  
  
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As the leader of the Orcs tossed the ring into the fire, the creatures in the council moved closer to the flame, wanting to see for themselves whether they had recovered the One Ring for Sauron. In their excitement, they had neglected the Prince, who now edged towards the group, with the small pouch of explosive in hand. All those around the fire were so involved with their own activities that no one noticed the thundering hooves heading straight for them.  
  
Firing deadly arrows at the beasts closest to the Prince, Yulion rode onto the scene, leaned down and scooped the golden Elf on his horse in one swift motion. This was not what Legolas expected. The Prince had not included the dark-haired Elf in his plans, thinking the recruit would have enough sense of self-preservation to stay AWAY from the Orcs when he returned from the dam. Apparently, he was wrong.  
  
Now, as they sped away from the fire, Legolas whispered to his rescuer, "I need to throw this into the fire. As soon as it leaves my hand, ride like the wind."  
  
Seeing the tiny pouch in the Prince's hand, Yulion knew what the golden Elf was about to do. Nodding his acknowledgement, the dark-haired recruit shifted his weight to guide their horse on an escape path that brought them closer to the fire. Unluckily, that also brought them closer to the high- ranking Orcs, who were enraged at the interruption. As Legolas threw the pouch at the fire, a sword nicked his outstretched arm, causing the Elf to yelp in pain and miss. "No!"  
  
Yulion could feel the golden Elf's desperation, his need to accomplish his task. But if they lingered any longer, both of them would be taken for sure. There were no guarantees that their captivity would help Legolas' plan succeed. Whispering a low "Sorry" to the Prince, the Rivendell Elf steered his horse away from the group of high-ranking Orcs towards freedom.  
  
The incensed beasts were bent on capturing the two trouble-making Elves. Giving an order to the army to not allow the intruders to get away, the leader of the Orcs rushed towards the escapees. But in his haste, he did not watch his steps, barely noticing as he knocked over the embers of the small fire in his sprint. Sparks flew, drifting in the air before settling back onto the ground. One, however, did not make it to the forest floor; instead, the glowing cinder fell upon the tiny pouch of explosive dropped earlier by the Prince. As expected, the result was, well, explosive..  
  
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As soon as they heard the explosion, Haldir led his allies in a surprise attack on the frontlines of the Orcs. With most of the ranking officers killed in the blast, the foot soldiers were enraged, but leaderless. When the mindless beasts realized they were under attack, they followed their instincts and blood lust, rushing after the human hunters and their Elven leader together. So it was that the small band of Men led Sauron's entire army into Elrond's trap.  
  
Arrows rained from the trees immediately after Haldir and Men passed the Elven ambush. Before the surprised beasts could discern the location of their mysterious attackers, the flank of the army was assaulted. Again, volleys of deadly arrows came from the surrounding trees into the middle section of the Sauron's troops. The Elves remained in their positions among the branches until their quivers were spent. When the warriors finally leapt down from their hiding places to charge the Orcs, over half of the beasts had already been killed.  
  
Now, the Orcs no longer had such a significant advantage in numbers. What the Elves lacked in numbers, they made up for with their agility and skill. They were far better fighters than Sauron's minions. Within half an hour, even the dumbest of the Orcs realized this was a fight they could not win. Without their leaders, the beasts scattered and attempted to make their way back through the forest to the Misty Mountains. When the Orcs reached the Mountains, instead of refuge, they found yet another Elven trap. After another hour of fighting, almost the entire Orc army had been slaughtered.  
  
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What was to be Sauron's greatest victory had been turned into his greatest defeat. Northern Middle Earth was now safe from the Dark Lord's crutches. The Elven troops had sustained only very minor casualties. As the ruling house of Rivendell gathered to lead their triumphant march back to the Elven citadel, they knew they owed this victory to the bravery and intelligence of one single Elf.  
  
"Where is Legolas? I do not see him with you," asked Glorfindel excitedly as Haldir and Gimli rode up to join them. He wanted to ascertain the object of his crush was safe.  
  
Before the Dwarf could break into tears or Haldir could hang his head in grief, the Elf in question rode out of the gloom of the forest with Yulion. Legolas knew he was very lucky to be alive. Because of his miss, the explosion was delayed. Because of his dark-haired companion's refusal to turn back, they managed to leave its blast range in time. Because of the sudden explosion, the surrounding Orcs panicked and allowed the two Elves to escape from the chaos unscathed.  
  
"I am here, my Lord, thanks to my friend Yulion. He saved my life," smiled the Prince as he turned to look fondly at the dark-haired Elf. The recruit rode into an entire army of Orcs for him; even one with a heart of stone would be grateful and touched. And one could imagine how the sweet, sensitive, romantic, Legolas felt about Yulion at the moment.  
  
The Rivendell recruit promptly turned crimson and began to stutter, trying to say, "You are too kind."  
  
Seeing the exchange, the fair-haired Lord of Rivendell frowned. He had been infatuated with the Golden Prince of Mirkwood since he first laid eyes on the beauty. But because of his 'condition', he was unable to pursue the younger Elf. After all, if he could only stutter nonsensical phrases in front of Legolas, it would be better not to speak at all. And one could not court without speaking.  
  
Apparently, Glorfindel was not the only one afflicted with this strange 'ailment' when around the golden beauty. Yulion too was exhibiting the same symptoms. But that did not seem to be stopping the younger dark- haired Elf from trying to vie for Legolas' attentions. This inspired the Elf-lord to start his own pursuit, which meant that Yulion was competition.  
  
Focusing only on his competitor, Glorfindel gave the young dark-haired recruit a critical glance-over, and said haughtily, "You have my thanks as well, young one, for saving my fair Golden Prince."  
  
Sensing the tension in his ancient friend, Elrond cleared his throat loudly. It would seem that Glorfindel had finally chosen to make a move on the Golden Prince. Elrond chuckled mentally as he realized the other Eldar was inspired by Yulion's attempts and gloated into action by the young one's efforts. Things would get very interesting in Rivendell, if the Prince were to stay for a while. "We should return to the city, my friends. Our feast tonight was interrupted; tomorrow, we will continue our harvest festival celebration."  
  
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An anguished scream reverberated in the empty halls of Rivendell palace. Rushing out of the Man's rooms, Arwen made way to the closest drawn bath, the front of her dress wet with the bubbly concoction she created for Aragorn. Milo stood guard at the foot of the Man's bed, in case the scary Lady returned to try to harm its beloved again. The little dog had never been as proud of itself as it was today. It would bet that even the beautiful blond Elf had not done what it had for Aragorn. It was his bravery that saved the Man from the Evenstar's revenge.  
  
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FLASHBACK:  
  
Milo was in the trees, en route to breaking into Aragorn's rooms, when it first spotted Arwen pacing there. Being a dog, it was extremely sensitive to evil vibes; and the Evenstar reeked of them. Immediately, the little critter knew the Lady was about to hurt its beloved. It was of a mind to jump at Arwen and bite her ear when she suddenly left the room with an evil smile. Milo knew the scary Lady was planning something very bad. Instead of acting impulsively, the intelligent dog waited quietly in the branch closest to Aragorn's window. It decided it would decide on what to do after Arwen returns.  
  
After about an hour, the Lady returned with a potion in hand. As she prepared to pour the disgusting liquid over Milo's beloved, the dog leapt from his hiding place onto the Elf maiden. The force of the impact sent the shocked Arwen staggering backwards, pouring the bubbling concoction in her hand onto the front of her dress. Screaming in fury and fear, the Evenstar left. Milo, one of the most misunderstood and unloved pet in Rivendell, had saved the day.  
  
In its elation, the little dog lapped repeatedly at the Man's face before jumping onto the floor for guard duty. Unaware of all that transpired, Aragorn slept on, dreaming of his beloved golden Elf. In his drugged state, the Man was not even troubled by the strangeness of his dreams when Legolas started to lick his face vigorously.  
  
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	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
Please, please review.  
  
A/N: This is the second to last chapter. Was going to make it the last chapter, but it just got way too long. It's like 16 pages now, and I am still not done, so I am posting it so that people know I am still alive and writing =) Legolas speech inspired by Josie's article in the movie. Sap warning ahead. I went a bit overboard with the speech =)  
  
It's been fun writing this story. I am very pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic responses from the readers. I did not expect this to be as long or as well-received when I first started. Thanks again for all the reviews, they mean lots to me.  
  
There won't be a sequel; sorry if that disappoints people. But since the logical sequel would be Haldir/Elladan and I only write A/L, there won't be one =)  
  
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Chapter 25:  
  
Glorfindel watched with envious eyes as the dark-haired youngster rode behind the Golden Prince on the same horse. Life was so unfair! The Elf- lord had known the fair-haired beauty for much longer than Yulion, but he had yet to even hold Legolas' hand. And here the young one was, sitting behind the Prince, getting a taste of how that perfect body would feel against his.  
  
How Glorfindel wished that Elves greeted their kinsman with kisses or hugs. Even Men had the sense to do something more intimate in greeting than putting their arm across the chest and bowing their heads. The ancient Elf would have settled for a soft kiss on the Prince's hand or encircling Legolas' lithe form in his arms or a gentle peck on the cheek or...  
  
The Elf-lord thoughts were interrupted when he almost ran into a low hanging branch. Thank the Valar for heightened Elven senses and reflexes. It would have been extremely embarrassing to be knocked off his horse by a tree, in front of every single warrior in Rivendell no less. But anyway, Glorfindel's point was that if he ever discovered the prudes who invented their current form of greeting, he would give them a piece of his mind, preferably a taste of his fists and sword as well. If not for them, Glorfindel would have known how it felt to touch the object of his affections long ago.  
  
The fair-haired Eldar's expression was not lost on his long time friend. While it was amusing at first to watch an irked Glorfindel, its entertainment value depreciated rather quickly, especially when the blond Elf would not respond to any of Elrond's jibes. The Lord of Rivendell decided it would be much more fun to tease Glorfindel than watch him stare jealously at Yulion. He would give his old friend a hand.  
  
"Legolas, why don't you come ride with Glorfindel beside me? I would like to take a better look at your injuries. We also have much to discuss concerning the Joint Army," suggested Elrond. As he saw Glorfindel jumped slightly in surprise and then blushed bright red, he had to work extremely hard to suppress the smirk threatening to form. Things would get so interesting if the Prince stays in Rivendell until the end of warrior training.  
  
"Sure," answered the Prince with an innocent smile. Elrond really wondered how one so beautiful could possibly not know the effects he had on everyone who was even in the slightest degree interested in males.  
  
Yulion did not like the idea at all. To say he was enjoying the sensation of the Prince's body against his own was a significant understatement. Though he had to work extremely hard to suppress a certain part of his body from getting overly excited, the experience of having the golden Elf so close was well worth the effort. But Elrond was the Lord of Rivendell. The recruit had no choice but to stop his horse and allow Legolas to go to Glorfindel.  
  
Determined to be a gentleman, the dark-haired Elf leapt onto the ground and offered a hand to help the injured Prince dismount. As Legolas smiled sweetly, taking the proffered hand, Yulion could not stop himself from casting a 'see, he-likes-me' smirk at the two ancient Elf-lords. The younger Elf proceeded to walk the Prince to Glorfindel's horse. He was rather looking forward to helping Legolas mount the animal as that would reward him with a quick contact with the beauty's shapely backside. But, the fair-haired Elf lord had already dismounted and was blocking his way.  
  
Glaring at Yulion pointedly, the Eldar took the Prince's arm and helped Legolas onto the horse before re-mounting. The look would have sent Balrogs running for cover, but the young dark-haired Elf merely returned the glare with one of his own. As the saying goes, 'love makes fools of everyone'; Yulion's affections for the Prince had dimmed his sense of self- preservation by a rather significant degree.  
  
Noting the silent staring contest between the competitors for Legolas' attention, Elrond knew the harvest festival tonight would be a very 'exciting' affair. The dark-haired Eldar could not think of a better way to relax after a battle than a bit of 'personal drama'. Besides, it would be in Rivendell's interest for Glorfindel to succeed in courting the Prince of Mirkwood. The Golden Elf was a genius with many talents, not to mention the only one in Thranduil's halls with brains rather than brawn. If Legolas were to wed the other Lord of Imladris, he would have to move to Rivendell to be with his beloved. With the tactical advisor of Mirkwood on Elrond's side, his realm's superiority over Thranduil's would be guaranteed.  
  
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"Did you see what I just saw?" whispered Haldir as he watched the interactions between Yulion, Glorfindel and his young friend.  
  
"Yeah. Didn't know Glorfindel is into males," replied Elrohir, beating his older twin to give the answer. It was clear that the Guardian of Lòrien somehow favored his brother, which was completely unfair since he was the one who started liking Haldir first.  
  
"What's happening?" asked Gimli, whose view was blocked by the Elf sitting in front. He tried shifting to get a peek, but to no avail.  
  
"Shall I describe it to you? Or shall I teach you how to stand on a horse?" teased Haldir, glancing back and down at his Dwarven companion. The Lòrien Elf had taken a liking to Gimli, though they could not be more different. He supposed it was their common goal in seeing the Prince happy that bound them.  
  
"Hah, very funny!" retorted the Dwarf, rolling his eyes but stilling all movements to get around Haldir.  
  
"I think our little brother is going to have competition," muttered Elladan to his twin.  
  
During the battle, the two had to set aside their arguments and worked together. After saving each other's life a few times, they reached a tentative agreement. They would fight for Haldir's affections fair and square, no underhanded tactics, no trying anything without the Lòrien Elf's permission. And no matter what happened, they would abide by Haldir's decision.  
  
"Well, we know that already. Yulion likes the golden Elf," replied Elrohir, in a tone of voice that suggested Elladan must be blind or really dumb to not see the Prince had more than one suitor ever since he came to the competition of skills as an angel in white.  
  
"Yulion isn't exactly competition. The Prince likes the strong, silent type, and Yulion doesn't fit the bill," retorted Elladan, not liking his twin's patronizing tone. He knew what Elrohir was trying to do; he was trying to make him look dumb in front of Haldir. There was no way the older twin would let him succeed.  
  
Haldir watched the two dark-haired Elves bickered among themselves. He liked Elladan much better when he was not around his younger brother. He seemed so more reserved and mature, almost 'boyfriend material'. If the Lòrien archer decided to take a male lover, he wanted him to be thoughtful and caring, willing to share his responsibilities and troubles. It would be someone he did not have to pamper or try to impress. But most importantly, it had to be someone he did not have to watch over all the time to keep out of trouble.  
  
As the twins squabbled like children on their horses, Haldir was beginning to think he made a mistake in giving Elladan that kiss the night before. Now that the Rivendell Elves knew he was not entirely adverse to the idea of a male lover, the Guardian knew things would get very difficult - they would never leave him alone. Haldir needed to find a way to return to his quiet life in Lothlòrien as soon as possible. He did not want things to progress to a point where he had to do bodily harm to Elrond's sons to keep them from driving him insane.  
  
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It was almost dawn when Aragorn awoke feeling light-headed and wet. The Man could not remember anything that happened at the festival after he drank Arwen's wine. Even in his woozy state, he knew his ex-girlfriend had drugged him. The thought that he had been unconscious and at the Evenstar's mercy would have sent a lesser Man into shock, but Aragorn remained unfazed. He knew Elladan was on his side and would protect him if necessary. Besides, they were to march to Mirkwood in the morning; Elrond would never allow one of the three commanders of the Joint Army to be seriously maimed before the campaign.  
  
At the moment, the Man was more curious about why he was wet. His clothes were dry, so he did not fall into the water. But every inch of the exposed skin on his face and hands were moist. As he brought his hands gingerly to his face, he realized the liquid was sticky and had a strange smell. Before Aragorn could ponder the enigma further, the answer jumped into his lap, literally. Sensing that its beloved had finally awoken, the overjoyed Milo leapt onto the bed and flung itself at the Man, licking his face voraciously. "Milo! Stop!"  
  
Milo was not very happy to detect the annoyance in its beloved voice. After all, it had risked its life and saved the Man from the scary Lady. It deserved Aragorn's gratitude, not annoyance. The dog stopped his act of endearment and trotted back a few pace before barking, "Woof, woof, woee, woo.." which basically translated to "Milo saved Man. Man should thank Milo. Scratching tummy and behind the ears would be good"  
  
Though Aragorn grew up with the Elves, he was not gifted in animal speech. He had absolutely no idea what the dog was talking about. All he knew was the noise was giving him a headache and that he was covered with Milo saliva, which was a very nasty thought. Instead of giving the little hero the reward it deserved, the Man got off the bed and headed to the bathing rooms.  
  
To say Milo was disappointed was an understatement. That was when the intelligent critter realized Aragorn did not understand his words. The Man was not trying to slight him; he was just being 'thick-headed'. But Milo was determined to have his reward. If it could not get the caress it wanted, it would settle for a bath with its beloved, correction, its very naked, handsome beloved. As its small eyes roamed over Aragorn's gorgeous muscular form, the dog decided this was definitely better than his original idea. Since it had a feeling that the Man would be angry if it tried to lick him again, Milo suppressed his urges. It merely jumped into the bath with Aragorn.  
  
The Man was of a mind to tell the dog off. But he knew that would just offend the critter and he would never have any peace. Instead, he decided to tolerate its presence as Milo seemed content with swimming quietly around him. "You can stay. Just don't lick me again, okay?"  
  
To give up his favorite activity was not what Milo wanted; but the dog would say anything to keep its beloved happy. After all, people made promises they did not intend to keep all the time; why should the fact that Milo was a dog stop it from doing the same? Nodding its head as much as it could as it swam to stay afloat, the dog gave an enthusiastic bark. Catching the canine easily with one hand and rubbing its head with the other, Aragorn smiled, "That's a good dog. Now let's get cleaned up. It will be a big day today."  
  
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Elrond walked into his foster son's rooms to find Aragorn in armor, ready to march for war. He knew the Man would be so upset when he recounted the events of the night. "We won't be marching to Mirkwood today."  
  
The Man frowned. Could it be that his worst assumption was correct; that there was no real threat and Legolas had made it all up as a ruse to draw attention away from his espionage?  
  
"In fact, we may not need to continue with training the Joint Army. I will call a council and discuss the current situation," added Elrond quietly.  
  
The Elf-lord knew the victory last night had guaranteed the safety of all Elven Lands from Sauron's clutches. But, the World of Men was a different matter entirely. The Dark Lord already had allies among the humans; after this defeat, he would concentrate on enslaving all Men before using them as pawns against the Elves. Aragorn would soon need to return to his people and rise to meet his destiny as the Hope of Men.  
  
"And what is the current situation?" inquired the Man, completely puzzled by the strange turn of events.  
  
"The Orc forces in Northern Middle Earth were completely crushed last night. The Dark Lord is no longer a threat to the Elves," spoke Elrond slowly, wanting to give his foster son time to absorb the information.  
  
"How is that possible? What happened last night?" demanded a very agitated Aragorn, who remembered nothing after being drugged by Arwen.  
  
"Sauron planned a surprised attack on Rivendell during our harvest festival. Luckily for us, Prince Legolas and his company discovered the Orc armies. He sent his brother to warn us, while he delayed the beasts to give us time to set a trap. We suffered some minor losses, but all the creatures were destroyed."  
  
As Elrond watched his shocked foster child struggled to breath, he realized it might be quite some time before the Man came to terms with the fact that he had just slept through a major battle against Sauron. Wanting to divert Aragorn's attention from the events of the night, the Elf-lord added, "We are having a lunch in Prince Legolas' honor. I suggest you get into something more comfortable before joining us."  
  
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Glorfindel paced outside the guest room where the Princes of Mirkwood were staying. He was given the honor of escorting the two younger Elves to lunch. He had taken care to bathe and dress before coming here. But as Legolas was wounded from the previous night and required the attention of a healer, the Princes were not finished with their preparation for the meal. Haldir had arrived almost an hour ago, with a huge pile of clothes in hand, saying he would help his friends get ready.  
  
All the fair-haired Elf-lord could do now was wait impatiently as he wondered what vision he would be gifted with today. The Golden Elf was always a feast for the eyes, no matter what he wore; but Glorfindel had his favorites, like that emerald green and gold outfit that highlighted the young Prince's exquisite colorings, or the white one that made Legolas looked so surreally beautiful that would put the Valar to shame. He considered for a moment what would happen if he volunteered to give the younger ones a hand. He was of half a mind to knock on the door when Gimli walked onto the scene. "They are not ready yet?"  
  
"No," replied the Elf-lord quickly, slightly embarrassed that he was caught wanting to join the younger Elves while they were still getting dressed for lunch.  
  
"If they are taking this long to get ready for lunch, I cannot imagine what will happen tonight at dinner. Come on, let's go in," said the Dwarf impatiently since he was very hungry after the night's fighting.  
  
Gimli knew they could not begin eating until the guest of honor arrived, who happened to be Legolas in this case. Besides, the Prince was never this fussy about his appearance. The two older Elves must be giving him a hard time. Gimli knew they all wanted Legolas to look his best, seeing that Aragorn would be there; but this was excessive.  
  
Before Glorfindel could protest, the Dwarf moved in front of him and opened the door. The Elf-lord was greeted by the sight of the Golden Elf wearing nothing but bandages around his chest and a towel. "No! I am NOT wearing that!" yelled the Prince as he flung some garments into the air at the door. As expected, the said clothes found themselves on Glorfindel's head instead of on Legolas' desirable body.  
  
"Well, it is a good thing I am short," commented Gimli with a smirk as the ancient Elf removed the clothing that blocked his view of the object of his affections.  
  
"Sorry," apologized Legolas sheepishly before blushing bright red at the inappropriateness of his state of dress.  
  
"I..um...I mean... it's okay," stuttered Glorfindel with downcast eyes as he handed the garments back to the younger Elf. He wanted to drink in the sight of the scantily clothed Prince, but he knew that would be inappropriate behavior for an Eldar. He figured Legolas being a diplomat would like him better if he was 'polite' and 'proper'.  
  
"Legolas, stop being difficult and get dressed already," chastised the Crown Prince of Mirkwood.  
  
"I cannot agree more," concurred Haldir with a conspiring smile, winking at the Dwarf.  
  
Gimli considered this for a moment and decided to agree with the Lòrien archer on this. After all, dressing up worked once, it might work again. It would be more difficult for Aragorn to stay angry if Legolas looked stunning enough to eat. "Come on, laddie, I am hungry."  
  
Giving an exasperated sigh, the Prince took his outfit and went into the bathroom to change. "If anything happens, I will never speak to any of you again."  
  
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"What is that about?" asked Gimli, curious about his friend's last statement before going to change.  
  
"It's a very long story," chuckled Ramiren as he eyed Haldir, silently asking if he should recount the younger one's embarrassing tale.  
  
The archer smiled and replied aloud, "There is no harm in telling them. Besides, it is only fair to give Lord Glorfindel some warning."  
  
"Well, all the Princes of Mirkwood are presented at a 'coming of age ceremony' when they reach marriageable age. Let's just say Legolas generated a much bigger commotion among the members of the same sex than in the opposite one," explained Ramiren as the Lòrien Elf chuckled at the understatement of the century.  
  
Haldir was on a mission to deliver something to King Thranduil for Lady Galadriel with his brothers at the time. He practically had to restrain his brothers from making inappropriate amorous advances on the Prince. And we were speaking of the sexy Rumil and Orophin who were not lacking admirers and lovers. One could imagine what those more desperate for a mate were doing. Though the intelligent Prince immediately recognized the danger to his virtue and sought to leave, the poor little innocent Elf did not get away without receiving a good amount of pawing and mauling from the hungry crowd. After that day, the traumatized Legolas decided never to wear formal clothes in his own realm, to hide in his library as much as possible when in Mirkwood and never to don the unlucky garments again.  
  
A hitched breath caught the archer's ears. He knew without turning that Legolas had emerged; he could tell from the expression on Glorfindel's face - the open-mouthed, bulgy eyes stare which Haldir associated with someone seeing the Golden Prince in his full glory for the first time. "Satisfied?" asked a melodic voice, slightly raised in annoyance.  
  
Turning to face his friend, even Haldir could not prevent his breath from being taken away. The Prince was every bit as gorgeous as he remembered, a vision in burgundy and black. The archer could swear never before had a beauty as such graced Middle Earth, male or female. His long, loose- fitting shirt was a mixture of velvet and chiffon, deep maroon on transparent black, with flowing sleeves and a draped neckline. Simple black leggings and a thin, glittering belt of golden leaves completed the outfit.  
  
The deep colors provided a lush contrast to the Prince's fair coloring, highlighting his creamy soft skin and lustrous golden hair. While the rich velvet concealed, the light chiffon revealed, giving his admirers a silhouetted view of his perfect torso and arms. The free end of the belt dangled around the Elf's slim waist, swinging with his graceful strides, drawing attention to the natural beauty of his long, shapely legs showcased by the simplicity of his black leggings. Legolas' golden hair was no longer in braids. Instead, they were kept back with clips in the shape of ruby and onyx butterflies. Completing the masterpiece was the young Prince's shy expression, turning the look from that of smoldering temptress to an innocent, yet sensuous angel.  
  
"Well, one thing's for sure. Aragorn will definitely notice," commented Gimli, who was the first to come out of his stupor, as he had the advantage of being of a different species and thus, with a different standard of beauty. Glorfindel was still dumb-founded, Haldir was still appraising, and Ramiren was still amazed by the transformation of his introvert brother into the Golden Prince of Mirkwood.  
  
At the statement, however, the fair-haired Elf-lord immediately snapped out of his trance. "Aragorn?" hissed the ancient Elf, disliking the implications that the human already held his Prince's affections.  
  
Gimli was not one who was easily intimidated; but looking at the Eldar now, he wondered if any Dwarf had ever been faced with a scarier sight. Gulping loudly, the Dwarf answered, "Legolas and Aragorn are together."  
  
As the sounds - "Together?" and "Gimli!" were made simultaneously in the room, Haldir felt it necessary to explain the situation. It was obvious that the Elf-lord was infatuated with the Prince and Legolas knew nothing of the older Elf's feelings. Given the way things were with Aragorn, the archer thought it would not be a bad thing to have a backup plan. If the Man decided to be stupid again and hurt his young friend's feelings, Glorfindel would be the perfect candidate to help Legolas pick up the pieces of his broken heart. The Eldar was protective, strong, wise and most important of all, head-over-heels in love with the Golden Prince. In terms of looks, the Elf-lord was in no way inferior to the Man. With his pale blond hair, intelligent green eyes and well-sculpted, aristocratic features, Glorfindel was quite handsome, even for an Elf.  
  
"Well, they are not really together at the moment. Aragorn is angry with Legolas for being a spy and walked out on him yesterday afternoon."  
  
"Haldir! I would really appreciate it if you do not talk about my private life so freely," exclaimed the Prince, trying his best to sound irritated.  
  
But even Legolas' best act could not hide the hurt interlaced within the words. Glorfindel cast a tender, sympathetic look at the object of his affections while he mentally rejoiced and vowed never to let anyone hurt the gentle Elf again. Wanting to distract the Prince, the Elf-lord suggested, "Why don't we go to lunch? I bet everyone is starving."  
  
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Aragorn sat alone in his rooms, debating whether he should go. That statement was not actually correct since Milo was with him. But the intelligent dog, sensing its beloved's brooding mood, was sitting quiet as a statue on the bed next to the Man. One might mistook him for an extremely life-like stuffed animal if one was not looking carefully. The point was that the Man knew Legolas would be there, looking absolutely stunning. And his heart and body was telling him to get moving while his brain demanded that he stayed here.  
  
The rational side of him knew the moment he laid eyes of the beautiful spy, he would lose all resolve and forgive everything. That he did not want to do; no, correction, after all the things that happened, that was something he refused to do. He would not allow himself to jump head first into this relationship anymore. The agony in his heart taught him that lesson.  
  
They needed to talk, alone, when the Prince was not dressed to impress. The Man needed to know how much of what he loved was the real Legolas and how much of it was the fake Lasgalen created for the mission. He wanted the Golden Elf to prove his love, to convince him that what they had was worth risking his heart for. After all the deceit, the Man wanted to be sure that he could trust Legolas before granting forgiveness. This, Aragorn knew, would not happen at this lunch. The Prince would likely be flocked by every warrior in attendance. He would not get a moment alone with Legolas, which meant he had no reason to go.  
  
It was at this moment that the deciding factor marched into the door, glaring at him with menacing eyes that could freeze the Ringwraiths in fear. Arwen the Destroyer had come to pay a visit. Aragorn knew he must end the rift with the Evenstar properly before he could move on. Though he did not have magic, he could not hide behind Elladan for protection forever. He was a warrior, and a great one at that; he would fight his own battles. Leaping off his bed and walking to the Lady with proud, fearless strides, the Man proposed, "Perhaps we should take this outside."  
  
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Almost all eyes were glued to Legolas throughout the entire meal. Even Elrond was caught staring from time to time, thinking how Glorfindel would owe him at least two cases of Middle Earth's best wine for arranging the seats to allow the fair-haired Lord to sit with the Golden Prince. The lunch took longer than Elrond anticipated since, as graceful and agile as the Elves were, it was difficult to eat without looking at their utensils and food. Not to mention it was difficult not to choke on something every time Legolas offered a polite smile to the Lords of Imladris.  
  
Yulion did not bother to touch his food; he was too busy seething at the blatant favoritism Elrond had shown the other ancient Elf. Glorfindel was obviously too old and stuffy for the vivacious Legolas. Yet the dark- haired Elf-lord seemed to be supporting his old friend's suit despite the age and personality difference. This was just unfair. But the intelligent young Elf also realized that in the end, the only thing that mattered would be who the Prince chose. The Eldars could scheme all they wanted, but they were not the one who saved the Golden Elf from the Orcs. Yulion knew that his selfless act counted for something.  
  
The young recruit also had one more advantage; Legolas already knew Yulion had feelings for him. From his observation of the interactions between the three at the head of the table, he knew the Prince was still oblivious of Glorfindel's affections. It would take some time before the fair-haired Eldar to make his move without startling the innocent golden Elf. If Yulion acted quickly, he could make an offer for Legolas' hand before the Elf-lord could even confess his feelings. In fact, the dark-haired recruit decided he would profess his love and propose tonight at the harvest festival. He hoped that things were truly over between the object of his affections and Aragorn. Yulion reckoned that the Man was the only serious competition he had for the Prince's heart.  
  
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When Lord Elrond saw that everyone was finally finished with their meals, he stood, moved onto the center of a small stage behind the table and orated, "We are gathered here this afternoon to honor a very special Elf. Without him, Rivendell would have been trampled underneath the feet of the Orcs. Prince Legolas, on behalf of the city, I give you my thanks. As a token of our gratitude, we offer you a gift; you may have any treasure in Rivendell."  
  
"I ask for only one thing, my Lord. Estel," said the Prince with a smile as he walked to stand beside the Lord of Rivendell.  
  
"Estel?" repeated Elrond with a frown, uncertain of what the young Elf meant.  
  
"The Lady Arwen's magical parrot, my lord," clarified Legolas, realizing that the Elf-lord did not know the bird was named after Aragorn. He wanted the Man too, more than anything else in the world. But human Estel was not some treasure to be won through a heroic deed.  
  
The Lord of Rivendell narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Arwen was his favorite child and he did not wish to upset her by taking her pet away. But he had also given his word in front of the entire city; he could not refuse the Prince his request. That was when he remembered how the Evenstar drugged his foster son, knowing the Joint Army was set to march the next morning. His willful daughter deserved punishment for putting her personal need for revenge before the good of their people. Losing her little Estel would be a lesson she would never forget. "Very well, my Prince. Parrot Estel is yours."  
  
"I thank you for your generosity, my lord," replied Legolas with a small bow.  
  
"It is customary for our guest of honor to give a speech. My Prince," said Elrond as he stepped aside and gestured for Legolas to take the center stage.  
  
This was the moment Legolas was waiting for. He had been thinking about this for the entire morning. This was his chance to explain his actions, to apologize and beg for forgiveness from the one he loved. He originally thought to offer his most sincere apology in private to his beloved, but he knew he never lied to Aragorn anymore than he did to everyone at Rivendell. He owed the city and the recruits an explanation too. Everyone here had taught him so much, not just about fighting but also about himself. He would make his atonement here publicly.  
  
"It isn't supposed to be like this. I was just trying to do my job. And then things happened.. And now I am here. Two months ago, if someone told me I would be standing in front of a group of warriors, addressing them because I have done my part in a battle, I would have laughed. A nerd to the core, I spent most of my time in my study staring at maps and scrolls. And when I went out, I wore my princely mask, so that no one could see the uncertain, 'abnormal' Elf inside.  
  
A month ago, I received an assignment to come to Rivendell as a recruit and keep an eye on the Joint Army. After the disaster that was my first warrior training, it is understandable that returning to Army camp was like my worst nightmare. I found that not much had changed - the fraternity and the loyalty the trainees all shared were still there, the way the popular ones picked on those less fortunate was still the same. All these things made me miserable at 150. But at 1025, I finally see that this is the way it should be.  
  
Warrior training is a time that makes us who we are for years to come. Going through it the first time made me who I am; but this second time made me see that being who I am is all right. I always wanted to be a capable warrior, to be just like everyone else; but now, thanks to my commanders and fellow trainees, I have gained the confidence to stay the way I am, firmly and happily. I will never forget it is the Joint Army and Rivendell that gave me this experience. And here, I want to apologize for all the lies I told trying to fulfill my original mission. I never meant to hurt anyone.  
  
I have lived a lifetime of regrets after my first warrior training, and now, my regrets are down to one. Someone was hurt in my path to self- discovery; though this public apology is a step, it in no way makes up for what I did to him. To this Man, you know who you are, I am so sorry. And I would like to add one more thing. I am in love with you. I have never kissed a guy until that night two weeks ago. And ever since that moment, I knew you are the one I want to be with.  
  
If you are willing to forgive me, I ask that you come to the harvest festival tonight and kiss me with Rivendell as witness. I am finally ready to start living the rest of my life, comfortable with who I truly am, and it would be magical if I can do it with you. Because for all the things that happened, nothing has changed. Inside, I am still that introvert afraid to be loved, and you are still the one person who can kiss me and make it all better."  
  
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While the female members of the audience were swooning from the Prince's sweet, romantic speech, most of the male Elven warriors were left with one emotion, envy. The recruits of the Joint Army who had witnessed the kiss wondered what their human commander had done to warrant the Golden beauty's affections. The older warriors all wondered who it was that stole Legolas' heart.  
  
The nicer and gentler ones hoped the Man would come to kiss the Prince, believing that an exquisite gem like Legolas deserved happiness. Others who knew of what occurred wanted to scream at Aragorn for being stupid enough to not treasure the Golden Elf like the jewel he was. And the last faction, those a bit more prone to influences from the 'dark-side', wanted to prevent this said person from attending the harvest festival, by force if necessary, so they could have a chance. But before the audience could make any visible responses, Legolas bowed and left the stage, disappearing quickly down the winding corridors leading away from the banquet hall.  
  
The Prince moved swiftly through the forest, senses on the highest alert for any admirers who might be following. Sitting alone in the solitude of the woods, Legolas knew all he could do was wait. He had made his apology; it was entirely up to Aragorn now to decide whether to forgive him or not. Though it broke his heart to think that the Man would not come kiss him, he knew he must prepare for the worst. After all, Aragorn was so angry with him that the Man would not even come to this lunch in his honor.  
  
Legolas knew that if Aragorn did not want him, he would have to decide on a husband as soon as possible. To delay would introduce rivalry between warriors and weaken the unity of his people. This the Prince could not allow. He knew Yulion liked him; but he had always just thought of the dark-haired recruit as a friend. After being kissed by the Man, Legolas would never love another again. But even if his beloved rejected him, he would still need to do his duty as a Prince of Mirkwood. Yulion, as the son of a nobleman in Rivendell, would not be a bad match. A union with him would solidify the friendly ties between Mirkwood and Imladris. Maybe given time, he could learn to care for the dark-haired Elf as a mate.  
  
It was in this pensive, depressed mood that Haldir and Gimli found their friend. Haldir figured that the Prince would be at a place where he shared some precious moments with the Man. Since Gimli had the misfortune of interrupting the couple three nights ago, the Dwarf was able to lead the way to Legolas' secluded hiding place. "That was a brave thing you did, laddie."  
  
Startled out of his thoughts, Legolas leapt to his feet to face his friends. Trying his best to sound cheery, he muttered, "Thanks."  
  
"Don't worry, laddie, he will come tonight. If a Dwarf lass announce her love for me in front of a crowd like you did, I will fly to her side within a second," said Gimli in an attempt to comfort his gentle friend. The young Elf's worries were so great that even the Dwarf could feel it in the air.  
  
"If he doesn't, you still have some very good options," reasoned Haldir. He wanted Aragorn to come, but he did not want to get his friend's hopes up too high only to have them dashed tonight. It would be much better for Legolas to go to the festival without too much expectation.  
  
"Haldir! You are not helping!" exclaimed the indignant Dwarf, not understanding why the Lòrien Elf was not trying to help him comfort their friend.  
  
"Glorfindel is in love with you, you know," commented the archer nonchalantly.  
  
That got the Prince's attention. He never thought a great, experienced warrior like Glorfindel would be attracted to an effeminate introvert like himself. "You must be joking."  
  
"I am serious. Judging by the looks of it, he has been for a while," said Haldir solemnly. When the stunned look on his friend's face faded a little, he continued, "My guess is that if Aragorn doesn't show, both Yulion and Glorfindel will propose tonight."  
  
Legolas continued to stare agape at his older friend. He knew Haldir was much more experienced with romantic relationships than he was, so he trusted the Lòrien Elf's judgment. But this would definitely complicate matters. Politically speaking, he could not agree to Glorfindel's suit because that would require his moving to Rivendell permanently. His father would never agree to such a thing. He could not agree to Yulion's offer either. He knew for a fact that Glorfindel would feel slighted if he chose the younger Rivendell Elf.  
  
If his heart belonged to either one of them, he could still justify whatever choice he made. But it belonged only to Aragorn, and both suitors knew this. Which meant that the one Legolas did not choose would think the Prince thought he was not good enough. With his two options being very popular Elves, Legolas knew he would be making enemies with either choice he made. The last thing the Golden Elf wanted was hard feelings between himself and those at Rivendell. All this amounted to one conclusion - if Aragorn did not come tonight, he would make some excuse to stay celibate for all eternity and leave the Elven City alone.  
  
"Laddie, you okay?" asked Gimli, voice gruff with concern. He wanted to hit the Guardian of Lòrien for bringing more troubles onto his friend's already troubled mind. But he figured that would only make Legolas unhappier.  
  
"Yes. I am all right. Can you help me make preparations for my journey back to Mirkwood? If Aragorn doesn't come, I am leaving tonight," answered the Prince as he began to walk back to the palace.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Haldir, putting a hand on his young friend's shoulder. He wanted the Prince to be happy. And leaving for Mirkwood alone guaranteed that that would not happen.  
  
"There is no other way, Haldir. I cannot choose if they both ask," replied Legolas, shaking his head sadly.  
  
"In that case, I will see to it that they don't ask," vowed Haldir before leaving his innocent friend and Gimli. No matter how much work it took, the Lòrien Elf would make sure the two suitors would not force Legolas into living the rest of his life alone.  
  
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As Haldir went through the palace searching for the Prince's would-be suitors, he was accosted by the younger twin. The situation with his young friend was pressing. He needed to concentrate on the matters at hand. "Elrohir, I don't have time for this right now."  
  
"I can help convince Aragorn to come," offered the younger twin sincerely, batting long eyelashes at the Guardian of Lòrien as he spoke.  
  
"Thanks, you go do that then," replied Haldir curtly as he tried to walk away.  
  
"I thought we can go find my foster brother together," whined Elrohir, disappointed that the archer seemed so adverse to his company.  
  
"I am not looking for Aragorn. I need to talk to Yulion and Glorfindel in case the stupid Man doesn't show tonight," explained the frustrated Lòrien Elf. He really was getting sick of handling everything on his own. He wanted to help Legolas, but he would like to have some help while doing so. The gruff Dwarf was too impulsive to be of any use. Ramiren was too tongue-tied when speaking with anyone of importance. The fact that Aragorn was so stubborn and thickheaded did not help matters one bit.  
  
"Just tell me what's happening, Haldir. I can help," offered the younger twin with another sincere smile, wanting to lighten the archer's burden. He knew his older brother got a peck on the cheek from the object of their affections by being nice and helpful. He could play that game too.  
  
Haldir debated for a while whether to disclose the details of the situation to the younger twin. He did not trust Elrohir much, but he could use some help. He knew the younger twin only wanted to sleep with him, but at least Elrohir was willing to make the pretense of being helpful. And in this case, Elrohir might actually be able to help, seeing that the younger twin took after his father in craftiness. "You probably know that Yulion and Glorfindel are both infatuated with Legolas. I am certain that if Aragorn doesn't show, they will make an offer for the Prince's hand. But he cannot choose between them since he isn't in love with either one of them. If they propose, Legolas is going to return to Mirkwood and be unhappy forever.."  
  
"So you take it upon yourself to make sure they don't propose," finished Elrohir quietly.  
  
"Yes," sighed Haldir. He knew his job would not be easy. He was in particular not looking forward to speaking with the fair-haired Lord of Imladris. The archer might be capable and intelligent, but he did not have the poise or diplomatic training Legolas had. Trying to convince Glorfindel without annoying him might be a problem. This was where the younger twin came in. As the fair-haired Elf-lord was particularly a member of Elrohir's family, it would be much easier for the son of Elrond to conduct this conversation without repercussion.  
  
"Don't worry, handsome, I will take care of Glorfindel," smiled Elrohir, realizing immediately where the Lòrien archer's problems lied. As he took Haldir's hand and brushed it gently against his lips, he added softly "Trust me."  
  
Haldir smiled gratefully at the younger twin. All would have been well if Elladan did not choose that precise moment to walk into the pair. "What's going on?" growled the older twin at his brother. The agreement was that neither would try anything without the archer's permission. And a kiss on the hand ought to be included on the list of things not to do!  
  
"Nothing. Haldir just trusted me with an important assignment," boasted Elrohir as he walked off in search of the fair-haired Elf lord. Even if he had to tie Glorfindel to a chair, he would not fail to stop the Eldar from making his proposal tonight. But he was certain he could convince his ancient friend to give Legolas more time to get over his heartbreak with gentle persuasion. This was his chance to outshine his brother. He would have a grateful Haldir in his bed before the end of the week.  
  
"What did you ask him to do?" demanded Elladan roughly, jealous that Haldir had trusted his brother with something important. He thought the archer liked him more!  
  
"Please Elladan, I don't want to deal with this right now. Can't you just leave me alone?" pleaded Haldir, sounding a bit desperate. He needed to hunt down Yulion, made sure the younger Elf would know what not to do tonight. After that, he needed to talk to Aragorn to try to convince him to go. He did not wish to think of the mess he was personally in at the moment. He had enough on his mind trying to help Legolas sort this out.  
  
"If that's what you want," whispered Elladan sadly as he turned to trod away. He really cared about Haldir and wanted to make him happy. But apparently the Guardian of Lòrien preferred his brother. He supposed there was no reason for the archer not to. Elrohir was the smarter one, probably a better match for the intelligent, cunning Haldir. Elladan was always the slower, impulsive, more straightforward one of the two.  
  
The hurt in the older twin's voice was unmistakable. The archer felt horrible that he should be the one causing it. He never thought that Elladan cared enough about him to be hurt by a simple dismissal. He was just as cold to Elrohir and that did not seemed to discourage the younger twin from continuing to coax him at all. Legolas was right; the older son of Elrond liked him - not just for sex, but in a much deeper way. "Elladan, wait."  
  
Trying to hide his heartbreak, the older twin schooled his features as much as he could into a mask of calm before turning to face the object of his hopeless love. "Yes?"  
  
"I am sorry. I have a lot of things on my mind. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I really want to help Legolas, and until things get sorted out, I don't want to think about my own personal life. Please understand," explained the Lòrien Elf, holding the older twin's eyes. He wanted to erase the pain he saw there. A sweet caring Elf like Elladan deserved so much better than the impatient and harsh treatment Haldir gave him before.  
  
"It's okay," replied Elrond's older son with a smile, hope shining in his eyes once more. Even the less quick Elladan knew that if Haldir did not care about him at all, the archer would not bother to explain his earlier actions. "Is there anything I can do?"  
  
"Maybe you can talk to Yulion for me, ask him not to propose to Legolas tonight," said Haldir indecisively. He trusted Elladan, but he also knew the older twin was not as articulate as his younger brother. There was a possibility that the dark-haired Elf would fail to convince Yulion. But if he were going to consider accepting Elladan as mate, he would have to believe in the older twin's abilities.  
  
"I know I am not the most eloquent Elf in Rivendell, but I will not fail you," replied Elladan, sensing his beloved's uncertainty. This was his chance to prove that though his brother was brighter, he was still capable of taking care of Haldir should the seductive Elf needed his help. He would succeed, no matter what it took.  
  
"Thanks, I will go tell Aragorn what Legolas said then," replied the archer with a smile as he grasped Elladan's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before turning away. Though this was only a simple touch, the older twin knew it was worth as much as the most passionate kiss. It was a sign of trust; and that was the first step towards a relationship.  
  
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So it was that the stage was set for the harvest festival feast. How would this story end? Even if the twins succeeded in their missions, everything rested on the shoulders of one Man. Even the talented Haldir knew he could only relay his friend's message; this would be the Human's decision alone. Would Aragorn forgive the Prince and come to give Legolas the kiss that marked the beginning of a new stage of his life? Or would he be stupid and hurt the darling of everyone's dreams? There was naught anyone could do but wait with the Golden Prince for his destiny. 


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Don't own anything  
  
Please, please review. Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate all the feedback everyone left =)  
  
This is the final chapter of Never Been Kissed. Hope you like it =) Not a funny chapter though; almost as angsty as parts of Shadow... Too much things that needed to get tied up. There is one fun part, well, I thought it was kind of funny.. but then, I have a disturbed sense of humor. Oh, yeah and the ending is very cheesy, I know. But really don't know what else to say there..  
  
.. my ramblings.  
  
// .// song lyrics, sung by Legolas and parrot Estel as background music.=) Taken from if I never knew you from Pocahantas, changed around a bit to suit the context. I apologize if people are confused. I am experimenting a bit with this last chapter in terms of writing style. Would really appreciate feedback on the incorporation of the song.  
  
Really sorry for the late update. It's all Dante's fault. He made me play Devil May Cry 2 every waking moment I am at home. And even when I am in lab, he won't leave me alone. He made me study the strategy guides so I can max his weapons. Okay, I am pathetic. I am falling for a CG character too as if loving my Elf is not enough.. Sigh..  
  
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Chapter 26:  
  
Haldir found Aragorn alone in his rooms, half-naked, nursing some number of small cuts and bruises that covered his body. "What happened?"  
  
"A bad date," replied the Man sarcastically, since it was basically true. Though he was 'victorious' in his confrontation with Arwen, he had not emerged unscathed. He paid for the Evenstar's promise to abandon her pursuit of revenge with many minor wounds.  
  
"Legolas apologized to you and Rivendell in public. He asked you to come kiss him tonight at the feast if you are willing to forgive him," said Haldir, wanting to get the heart of the matter as soon as possible. Besides, he had a feeling Aragorn would not disclose any details of how he obtained his injuries anyways.  
  
"That's just so like him, isn't it? Bringing this whole thing into the public eye," replied the Man with a bitter laugh. He could not believe the Prince had dragged their personal problems in front of the whole Elven city. This was another one of the Elf's ploy to use public opinion to force Aragorn into action, like when he dressed up for the competition of skills. But this time, Legolas went too far.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked a concerned Guardian of Lòrien, feeling that the Man had taken this thing the wrong way.  
  
"Just that he was playing the beautiful, guiltless victim again and making me out to be the insensitive bad guy who was stubborn and stupid enough to hurt him," answered the Man with venom as he leapt to his feet to face the archer eye to eye.  
  
"How can you say that about him? He apologized for hurting you, didn't he?" exclaimed Haldir indignantly, peeved on his young friend's behalf. Even the blindest person could see that Legolas was genuinely in love with Aragorn!  
  
"It's because of his apology that I finally see how things are. He is a scheming liar who knew his strengths and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He knows the entire city will be enraged if I don't go. He thinks he can pressure me into forgiving everything, into taking him as consort; well he thought wrong; I am not going, even if it means I will be thrown out of Rivendell tomorrow," vowed Aragorn, as he glared daggers at Haldir, daring him to argue with him into changing his mind.  
  
But instead, the archer merely shook his head wearily and turned towards the door. Before he left, he whispered, "I was wrong to come here. You don't deserve him."  
  
Enraged and not wanting to let the Lòrien Elf have the last word, Aragorn yelled into the corridor. "I am sick of hearing I don't deserve him. He is the one who broke my heart! Maybe he is the one who don't deserve ME!"  
  
But the Man's outburst elicited no response from the retreating Elf, who merely continued walking as if he heard nothing. Unbeknownst to Aragorn and Haldir, two other pairs of eyes watched the proceedings; while one was filled with concern of the implications of the conversation he overhead, the other was overflowing with rage. If not for its blasted cage, it would peck the ungrateful, horrible Man's eyes out. But as the bars stopped parrot Estel from carrying out its wishes, the bird stayed silent. It would save its breath to console its beloved when the Prince heard this disturbing news.  
  
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Elrond was not surprised to find the Prince in his rooms, packing his things to prepare for departure. Now that he had overheard the conversation between Haldir and his foster son, he understood Legolas' wish to leave. But the Elf-lord also knew he could not allow the Prince to go. He needed Legolas to be his ally. Since his foster son had given up his claim on the Golden Elf, Glorfindel would be the leading contender for the Prince's affections.  
  
"I was walking by Aragorn's rooms earlier," commented the Elf-lord, startling the Prince and Dwarf out of their activities. He then moved to put parrot Estel's cage onto the table on the center.  
  
"What did he say?" asked an excited Gimli, ignoring the small bird. Haldir had not yet returned to report on his progress, which worried the Dwarf immensely. If the Elf was successful in convincing the Man to go, he should have been back by now. Legolas, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He merely looked at the Elf-lord with sad azure eyes.  
  
"I am sorry," whispered Elrond, giving the Prince a sympathetic pat on the shoulders.  
  
"It's alright. It's what I expected," replied Legolas as he lowered his eyes and returned to his task.  
  
"No, laddie; it is NOT all right! I will go talk to him!" exclaimed Gimli as he marched out the door in search of the stubborn Man before the two Elves could stop him.  
  
"What are your plans, my Prince?" asked Elrond gently not wanting to sound overly interested.  
  
"If Haldir is right about my getting proposed to tonight, I will return to Mirkwood immediately," replied the Prince as he stuffed more clothes into his pack.  
  
"And if he is not?" inquired the Elf-lord, concerned. It would not do for the young one to leave now. Glorfindel deserved a chance after all this time of loving the Prince in silence.  
  
"I will stay until the date of the council if my lord wishes to summon a council to discuss the latest turn of events," answered the Prince, turning to look at Elrond.  
  
"Yes, I will be calling a council, which will convene in a month, my Prince," replied Elrond, who was impressed by how astute the young Elf was to the political significance of last night's battle.  
  
"Do not worry about the possible suitors. I am sure they will understand it is impossible for you to choose another after a recent heartbreak," said the Elf-lord sympathetically. He knew he could trust the Guardian of Lòrien to take care of the Golden Prince. Haldir would make sure that his young friend does not leave for Mirkwood broken hearted.  
  
"I guess so," sighed the Prince with a small smile though all he wanted to do was to break down and cry. Before he would have given in to his urges, even in Elrond's presence; but now, he had the strength to carry on with his life, even if he had to live the rest of it alone. He would always love Aragorn for helping him find the courage to face the world as who he truly was, even if the Man no longer loved him.  
  
"Perhaps you would like to refresh yourself before the banquet," suggested the Elf-lord. When Legolas made no attempt to move, he added, "There is still a chance that Aragorn will change his mind. Men are fickle creatures; and sadly, my foster son is no exception."  
  
When the Prince nodded, a tiny sliver of hope shimmering in his eyes, the Elf-lord smiled in encouragement despite himself. Though politically speaking, he would prefer Glorfindel to win Legolas' hand, he could not help wishing his last words were true. The young Elf had such a beautiful soul; it would be an atrocity to have it crushed by despair and heartbreak. The success of any scheme would not be worth the price of such a horrible thing.  
  
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Time stopped when the moon reached its zenith. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Man to march onto the stage and took Legolas in a loving embrace. A minute passed, then another; there was still no sign of Aragorn as Legolas remained alone on the stage. Soon, it became apparent that the Man was not coming. Giving the audience a sad smile and a 'thank you for your support', the teary-eyed Prince stepped off the platform to join the Ruling House of Imladris.  
  
"I see I am not the only one he dumped," commented Arwen caustically as the Prince walked past. She was immediately rewarded with a death glare from Glorfindel. It was so frightening that even Arwen the Destroyer shuddered at the force of it.  
  
Gathering all his courage, the fair-haired Elf Lord managed to ask without stuttering, "Are you alright?"  
  
Haldir had the urge to answer 'of course he is not all right! He has just been rejected by the love of his life'; but instead of giving in, he glanced at Elrohir. He needed to know if the younger twin had succeeded in convincing Glorfindel not to propose. When the dark-haired Elf gave a small nod, the archer relaxed as he continued to watch the exchange between his young friend and the Elf-lord with interest.  
  
"I suppose. I mean this is what I expected. But no matter how hard I try to be rational, there is still a small part of me that is hoping he will come. It hurts to have my hopes dashed; but it's probably better this way. You know, no more uncertainty eating at me, no more wondering if he would ever forgive me or love me again," replied the Prince quietly. He did not know why he explained his feelings so candidly to Glorfindel, but it hurts too much to keep everything bottled up inside.  
  
"I am sorry, my Prince," said Glorfindel, daring to look into the beauty's eyes as he reached to hold Legolas' hand gently. This was the moment to make his feelings known. While he agreed with Elrohir that it was too soon to propose, the Eldar knew that the Prince needed to know he was loved, even if Aragorn rejected him.  
  
After closing his eyes to steel himself, Glorfindel reopened them and muttered in one breath before his courage faded. "I won't pretend to know your pain, but I want you to know that you don't have to face it alone. I will be there for you, if you want me to."  
  
Legolas was apprehensive when the Elf-lord took his hand. What he heard was not what he expected. And he felt the pieces of his heart warming to Glorfindel's shy, sweet declaration of unconditional support. Though he knew he would never love another the way he loved Aragorn, things might not be as bleak as he first imagined. Giving the Eldar a touched smile, he squeezed the ancient Elf's hand and whispered, "Thank you, Glorfindel."  
  
It took no time at all for the Prince's words to register in his brain. Legolas called him by his name! Not, my lord, not Lord Glorfindel, just his name, which meant the younger Elf was no longer considering him as just another acquaintance, but someone he could relax with and allow into his personal life. He knew Legolas probably thought of him only as a friend at the moment, but it was a start. Glorfindel would not mind taking the time to work on obtaining Legolas' affections. After all, he had been having a crush on the Golden Prince for many years now; what was a few more when he now had hope. Smile widening into a grin, the Elf-lord stuttered, "You..um..you're..welcome."  
  
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Yulion watched the scene between the fair-haired Lord and the Prince. He knew what Elladan told him, that Legolas would leave if he received a proposal tonight, but he would rather die than just sit here and do nothing while Glorfindel attempted to court the Golden Elf. He promised not to propose, but he did not say he would not profess his love. Walking up boldly to the table where the Ruling House of Imladris sat, the dark-haired recruit held out his hand and requested, "May I have this dance, my Prince?"  
  
Legolas saw the fair-haired Eldar's expression changed from a sweet and shy Elf into a frightening warrior. Though he did not wish to face Yulion yet, he knew this was a chance he could not pass. Glorfindel would probably kill the young recruit if Yulion were to try to get the Prince alone for a conversation again. Taking a deep breath, Legolas nodded his assent and reluctantly allowed himself to be led onto the dance floor.  
  
"I am sorry about Aragorn," said the dark-haired Elf as the pair waltzed.  
  
"I kind of expected it. Lord Elrond warned me," replied Legolas quietly, trying his best not to look completely crest-fallen.  
  
"I just want to say that if you ever need anything, all you need to do is ask. I know we started off badly, and I know I am not much of a comparison to Glorfindel, or even Aragorn; but I will do everything in my power to make you happy again," vowed Yulion, looking into the Golden Elf's azure eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Yulion," replied the Prince, offering the dark-haired Elf a tender smile. His archer friend had outdone himself today. Haldir had turned two proposals into two romantic declarations of affections and devotion. Legolas knew he must thank his Lòrien friend properly after the feast was over. Because of his friend, he could stay in Rivendell for another month. Perhaps by then, his heart would have recovered enough so he could choose a mate who he could grow to love in years to come.  
  
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As Glorfindel watched the couple waltzed on the dance floor, his jealous rage had calmed somewhat. He wanted Legolas; but he also wanted the Prince to be happy, even if it meant the Golden Elf was with someone else in the end. He knew Elrond would do everything possible to bring himself and the Prince together. Glorfindel was not so ignorant as to not realize that a union between himself and the tactical advisor of Mirkwood would tip the balance of power significantly in Rivendell's favor. But he also knew that in order for Legolas to find love again, he must be given choices. As much as Glorfindel hated it, he would ensure that the Prince was not forced to accept him because he was the only contender. He wanted Legolas to choose him because the Prince liked him.  
  
"Ramiren, it's your first time in Imladris, no?" asked the fair-haired Lord in a conversational tone, acknowledging for the first time in the night the Crown Prince's presence.  
  
"Yes," replied the Mirkwood Elf. He would have stuttered if he gave a longer answer and was thus grateful that only one word was required of him.  
  
"Perhaps you would like a tour of Imladris, then?" suggested Glorfindel with a sincere smile. He knew he intimidated the other Elf; he wanted Ramiren to be more comfortable with his presence since he would be seeing the older Mirkwood Prince a lot if he were to be around Legolas.  
  
"Sure," said the Crown Prince though he was not looking forward to spending time with the imposing Elf lord.  
  
"Great, perhaps you would like another guide in our company. Maybe someone younger?" asked Glorfindel, wanting Ramiren to guess his intentions. He did not want to suggest bringing Yulion along outright since Elrond would probably think he was crazy to give Legolas the chance to reject him for someone else. The Lord of Rivendell would probably not give him a moment's peace until he promised to take bolder actions to claim the Golden Elf.  
  
But the Crown Prince did not have his brother's wits; he merely frowned at the fair-haired Elf-lord's suggestion. That was when Haldir realized how altruistic the Eldar was. Unlike the stupid Man who stole the Prince's first kiss without thought, the Elf-lord wished the Golden Elf to have a chance to discover who he truly wanted to be with, even if that meant losing Legolas in the end. Haldir did not know how he could have failed to see the Eldar's feelings before. If he offered Glorfindel a hand instead of the stupid Man, Legolas would be happily in love already! But things were not too late yet. The Prince was heart-broken, but was still innocent enough to believe in love. The Lòrien Elf would make up for his past mistake and help the Elf-lord. "I can ask Yulion, since the Joint Army recruits have tomorrow off. And perhaps my lord would not mind if I tag along as well?"  
  
"Of course not," smiled the Elf-lord, realizing he now had the support of one of Legolas' confidantes. Perhaps, Haldir would tell him more about the sweet Prince's likes and dislikes so he could court Legolas better.  
  
"We are coming too," said both twins together, looking at the seductive Guardian of Lòrien. Sighing exasperatedly, the said Elf used all his strength to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the twins and saying they could not come. He was hoping Glorfindel would refuse their companion. After all, the Elf-lord would want his help in gaining Legolas' favor.  
  
Surprisingly, the Eldar smiled and said, "Sure, my friends. Hopefully, tomorrow will prove a satisfactory end to our previous 'harvest cycle'." The Elf-lord's meaning was clear to all except the clueless Ramiren. Tomorrow would be the day they sorted out their personal problems. Tomorrow would be the day where the 'loser' went home to nurse a broken heart.  
  
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It was well past midnight when Gimli found the Man. Please forgive the Dwarf. He was a miner and warrior, not a Ranger. His skills at tracking left much to be desired. It was a miracle that he found Aragorn at all, after getting lost in the woods several times. If the said Man had not returned to the pool where he and the Prince shared their last 'intimate' moment, Gimli would never have been able to find him.   
  
"What are you doing here? You should be at the festival, kissing Legolas!" yelled the frustrated Dwarf. He knew they were already late; but as long as Aragorn went before the festival was over and forgave the Prince, things would be all right.  
  
"I am here because I have decided not to go," replied the Man, stating the obvious in case Gimli was too dense to see his reasons.  
  
"You cannot possibly mean that!" exclaimed the Dwarf as he tried to drag Aragorn to his feet. But the Man had the advantage of size, so Gimli, despite his strength, could not make him budge.  
  
"I do mean that. It's over. Legolas isn't the one I love; the imaginary Lasgalen is. And that person never existed in the first place," whispered the Man bitterly.  
  
"Stupid Man!" screamed Gimli as he whacked Aragorn over the head roughly with his fist.  
  
At the act of aggression, the Man retaliated, leaping to his feet, spinning round and shoving the Dwarf onto the floor. "I am done listening to you. Just leave me be," hissed the Man dangerously.  
  
"I cannot believe Legolas chose to give his first kiss to someone like you," spat Gimli as he rose to his feet and left as quickly as his short legs would carry him. He must leave Aragorn's companion before he looses control and does something very bad to the future King of Men.  
  
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Gimli's last words haunted the Man's mind and heart. Legolas' first kiss...the Dwarf could not possible mean that. The Elf was over 1000 years old. He knew the Prince was innocent, but there was no way he could be THAT innocent. Yet a small part of Aragorn knew what Gimli said was true. Though it had been two weeks, the Man still remembered that kiss as if it had happened only a minute ago.  
  
That simple contact had made him feel alive and loved. At that moment, nothing else had mattered; all Aragorn wanted was to drown in the sensation of the Golden Elf, to hold his beloved in his embrace and never let go. That kiss was how kisses were supposed to be, an expression of love for the one special person he was meant to be with. He still remembered wanting that kiss to last forever, wanting to be the only one who would ever taste those lips, wanting nothing more than to have the right to love the sweet Elf for the rest of his life.  
  
Even the Man's cynical mind was won over in the end. He knew now that he made a mistake in not going to kiss his Elf. No matter how skilled a liar, Legolas could not have faked the emotions he poured into that kiss. All Aragorn could do now was pray that there was still some way to undo the damage caused by his impetuous decision. As the Man rushed back to the festival, he heard his beloved's lilting voice in song, echoed by parrot Estel's melodic chirping.  
  
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//If I never held you, I would never have a clue, how, at last, I found in you the missing part of me. I'm so grateful to you, I'd lived my whole life through, lost forever, if I never knew you. //  
  
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It was the same one Legolas had sung to him that day in front of the whole camp; but this time, it sounded different, the Elf's pure voice tinted with the deep, heartrending sadness of a broken heart. But the emotions behind the words were unmistakable - Legolas loved him still, despite the humiliation caused by the Man's public rejection. Running as fast as he could, Aragorn hurried to towards the singer, vowing to never hurt this wonderful, special Elf again.  
  
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//I thought our love would be so beautiful. Somehow we'd make the whole world bright. I never thought that fear and hate could be so strong and all that's left are whispers in the nights. But my heart is still saying we were right. //  
  
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The Prince could not be more than ten minutes away. Aragorn knew his Elf was at the training field, probably reminiscing on their happier times together. Legolas' song was telling him there was still hope.  
  
"Not so fast, my friend," commented Glorfindel as he appeared out of the forest to block the Man's way. He knew the Prince was too absorbed in his song to hear their conversation or sense their presence.  
  
"Get out of my way," replied Aragorn resolutely, wanting only to be with his Elf.  
  
"No, Aragorn. You had your chance. I cannot allow you to hurt him again," whispered the Eldar in a deadly tone. Glorfindel wanted the Prince to have choices, but that did not include the ungrateful, horrible Man who broke his heart. For all the ancient Elf knew, Aragorn would hurt Legolas again if given another chance. He cared about the Golden Elf too much to trust the Man.  
  
Aragorn knew there were only two ways to get past the Elf-lord, to fight or to convince the Elf of his love for Legolas. He had never crossed sword with Glorfindel, but he knew the Elf-lord had defeated a Balrog in single combat. There was a possibility that he would lose. Besides, fighting would take too much time. He would plead with Glorfindel instead. "With the stars and moon as my witness, I swear that I won't hurt him again. Please, let me go to him."  
  
"I am sorry, my friend. There is no promise you can make that I can trust," replied Glorfindel as his hand slowly wandered to the hilt of his sword, a subtle warning to the Man not to try anything.  
  
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//There's no moment I regret, since the moment we first met. If our time had gone too fast, I've lived at last.. //  
  
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The song was ending; Aragorn could feel it. His heart constricted as tears swelled in his eyes. He would fall on his knees and beg if he had to. He knew that once this song was over what he and Legolas shared would come to an end. This was the Prince's way of saying goodbye, to relive one last time the love between them. "Please Glorfindel. This is Legolas' choice, not yours."  
  
The Eldar knew the Man was right. But he also knew that if he allowed Aragorn to go before the Prince now, Legolas would forgive everything. The young Elf was still too vulnerable from his heartbreak to think properly. He could not allow the Prince to risk everything a second time without thought. Even if Legolas did not choose him in the end, he would protect the innocent Elf. "You are right. It should be his decision, not mine. But I cannot let you go to him now. If you want him, you will have to court him like everyone else."  
  
Before the Man could protest, the Prince's song ended. The forest was now eerily silent without the music of Legolas' beautiful voice. Their relationship was now a thing of the past. Before Aragorn could mourn the lost of his one true love, the Elf-lord spoke again, "We are going on a tour of Rivendell tomorrow. You can join us if you like."  
  
"I will be there," vowed the Man as he turned to head back to the palace to get some rest. He knew any attempts to get to Legolas tonight were bound to fail. He had no other choice but to wait another day. At least, Glorfindel was understanding enough to give him a fair chance to prove his love to Legolas. He might have lost what he shared with his Elf before, but there was still hope that they could start anew. Aragorn knew things would be difficult tomorrow as his former matchmakers would be against him. But failure was not an option. Both his happiness and Legolas' were at stake.  
  
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A chapter of his life was now over. He had said his final goodbyes. It hurt so much, but it was better than living in denial, hoping for something that would never be. His companion could feel the sadness emanating from him and was now fluttering his wings in agitation, crying, "Bad Estel!"  
  
"It's not his fault, little one. If I hadn't lied to him, he would not be angry with me. I have only myself to blame for this," sighed Legolas as he wandered back to the palace. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new chapter of his life. He would face it with courage and hope for a better future, even if the one he loved would never be by his side again.  
  
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Arwen was wandering the forest when she stumbled upon the Elf-lord and her ex-boyfriend. Though she had given her word not to seek revenge against Aragorn, this was too good an opportunity to pass. If the Man failed to show up tomorrow morning, the romance between him and that pretty Elf would really be over. She knew for a fact that both of them would never be happy again and she could not think of anything that would make her happier.  
  
Besides, she only promised not to try to hurt the Man or the Golden Elf; she did not say she would not scheme against them. And adding a little sleep powder into Aragorn's drink did not count as hurting him. She had done it to her brothers before as a prank. It was not her fault if the ramifications of her actions were more serious this time. Humming joyously to herself, the Evenstar hurried to Aragorn's room. Tomorrow, revenge would be hers at last.  
  
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Glorfindel glanced around in annoyance one last time before leading the party away from the palace. Aragorn was still not here! The Eldar was generous enough to invite the Man along so he could have a fair chance of gaining the Golden Elf's affections again, and Aragorn repaid him by being more than an hour late. At the end of breakfast, the ancient Elf decided he was done being the 'nice guy'; if the Man did not think enough of Legolas to come on time, he certainly did not deserve the Prince's heart.  
  
"How are you feeling today?" asked the Elf-lord, looking straight ahead instead of at the Golden beauty so he could speak properly.  
  
"Better, I guess," replied the Prince though the agony in his heart had yet to subside. He did not want to worry the Eldar who seemed very protective of him.  
  
"That's good to hear," commented Yulion as he urged his horse to ride along side the two fair-haired Elves at the front.  
  
The young Rivendell Elf had deliberately dressed for the occasion, hoping to impress the beautiful Prince. He looked rather dashing himself in his outfit of green and brown. The colors highlighted his amazing emerald eyes and his lustrous russet hair. The form-fitting garments clung to his lithe, well-toned frame, putting his desirable body on full display that left very little to the imagination. If the other Elves in the party were not already infatuated with Legolas or Haldir, they would be fawning over the handsome Elf by now.  
  
As Gimli had chosen to stay at the camp, not wanting to ride a horse for a full day, the company consisted of seven Elves. They rode in two groups of three with the single Elf riding alone at the back. As one might have guessed, the lone Elf was Ramiren. The younger Prince was sandwiched between the blond Eldar and Yulion as Haldir was between the twins.  
  
Legolas seemed to be engaged with an animated conversation with his two suitors, having a reasonably good time considering the Man's rejection last night. The Crown Prince could not help being surprised at how civil the two suitors were towards each other. The suitors were treating each other with respect and veiled friendliness; they even laughed at each other's jokes or interesting tales from time to time. Though Legolas was the center of attention, those three resembled new friends getting to know each other and enjoying each other's companion.  
  
On the other hand, the poor Lòrien archer was stuck between two identical bickering Elves. Ramiren had heard much about the twin sons of Elrond. While most of the tales were praises of their valor and prowess in battle, the others spoke of how persistent they were when pursuing the unfortunate Elves who caught their eyes. Usually, the twins would work together in coaxing the said Elf into their beds. But the twins seemed to be fighting over Haldir this time. And it was well known that when the twins fought each other, they behaved like children, which put the poor Guardian of Lòrien in a very unenviable position. Ramiren was glad he was left alone to follow the group. He would not want to get dragged into the twin's battle over the Guardian of Lòrien.  
  
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The group stopped for a late lunch at the foot of the Misty Mountains, the Western border of Imladris. In case people are wondering why they stopped there instead of within the safety of the forest, the reason was quite simple: I made them do it. Yes, the demented authoress exerted her powers here and forced them to stop at a perilous place to rest for lunch. Well, there was also the fact that most of the Orcs were destroyed in the battle two nights ago. They really had no reason to think that the Misty Mountains were a dangerous place any longer. But anyway, back to the story.   
  
Haldir knew it would be best to divide into two groups for their lunch break. He did not wish the twins to ruin the amicable mood between Legolas and his two suitors. Practically grabbing the twins by their arms, the Lòrien Elf made some excuse and dragged them away from the rest of the company. Though Ramiren was not as bright as Legolas, he knew he too should leave his brother with Yulion and Glorfindel alone. Despite the fact that he was not looking forward to getting caught in the crossfire as the twins battled each other, he followed Haldir away from their camp.  
  
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Aragorn awoke to find the sun shining brightly outside. He knew from his strange fatigue that he had been drugged yet again. But at this moment, he did not care who was the culprit; all he knew was that he must hurry to catch up with his beloved and company. Without thought, he began to rush towards the stables. Mounting his faithful stead swiftly, he set out in search of the Golden Elf. He could only hope he was not too late.  
  
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"You did not!" exclaimed Yulion in disbelief as Legolas' giggles filled the air. Never in a million years could the young Elves imagine an Elf-lord like Glorfindel doing something mischievous.  
  
"Well, pranks are not a privilege enjoyed only by the young," replied Glorfindel, trying to sound serious as he stifled his laughter. He was regaling the tale of how he replaced Elrond's soap with cooking lard soaked in jasmine fragrance. It was retaliation for the other Elf-lord volunteering him to go on a diplomatic mission to Bree, knowing full well that Glorfindel hated diplomatic duties. The fair-haired Eldar would fight an army of Orcs any day over speaking with human city officials. He had always thought of political dealings as a necessary evil included in his duties as one of the Lords of Imladris.  
  
"You are full of surprises, Glorfindel," said the Prince once he stopped his uncontrollable laughter. He was surprised at how much he was enjoying himself on this journey. His suitors before were aggressive, trying to pressure him into acknowledging their claims. Yulion and Glorfindel seemed content with being in his company, speaking with him, interested in getting to know him as a person. Legolas knew he was lucky to have these two special Elves' attention; he would hate to hurt either one of them.  
  
"Thank you for your compliment," laughed the Eldar, grinning at the two young ones.  
  
Since this morning, the Elf-lord had overcome his speech impediment when speaking to the Golden Elf. He knew he had Yulion to thank for that; the dark-haired Elf's presence seemed to lessen the pressure he felt around the Prince, allowing him to express himself freely. He wondered why Yulion made him feel more comfortable. The young one was competition; if anything he should be watching his words more carefully. Yet, he found the dark- haired Elf's brash and slightly cocky attitude strangely disarming. It reminded him of the vivacity and innocence of the young.  
  
Though Yulion had taken lovers before and was about as tricky as any other Elf, he did not have the same reserve as the older Elves who had seen the harshness of the world. If he played a prank on someone, it was out of mischief or revenge, never truly meant to hurt the other person. There were no ulterior motives in his every move. And Glorfindel found his attitude refreshing, as the ancient Elf was used to the political intrigues.  
  
The Elf-lord was glad that the dark-haired youth was his competition, not some other scheming Elf. If Legolas chose Yulion in the end, the Eldar would admit defeat and wish them happiness sincerely. Those two young ones complemented each other very well. While the Prince was worldly, yet innocent in personal matters, Yulion was the opposite, inexperienced in politics but knew the inner workings of relationships. If they were a couple, they could learn from each other and grow together. Glorfindel could not think of a better bonding experience than that.  
  
"What are you thinking about, old man?" asked the dark-haired youth, suddenly aware of the Elf-lord's quiet, meditative mood.  
  
"Just how young both of you are," replied a still pensive Glorfindel as he studied the beautiful Prince he loved and his competitor in obtaining Legolas' affections.  
  
"You are not admitting defeat so soon, are you? I know I am tough competition, being handsome, exuberant and smart and all. But you cannot possibly give up only after a day," teased Yulion.  
  
The truth was that he was worried about the Elf-lord's sudden change of mood. Though Glorfindel was his opponent, the thought of the Eldar's feelings getting hurt was strangely unsettling. He knew the ancient Elf could have Legolas all to himself; but Glorfindel had chosen to give him a fair chance at winning the beauty's hand. He had to admire the Eldar's altruism on that matter.  
  
And of course, there was the fact that Glorfindel turned out to be a lot more than the boring, stiff Elf Yulion first thought he was. The Eldar was sophisticated and experienced, maybe a little intimidating at times, but he still retained his flair and a great sense of humor. Yulion had found himself enjoying the Elf-lord's company every bit as much as Legolas'. Perhaps in time, he would have gained a friend in Glorfindel, regardless of who the Prince chose as mate. He would hate for the Eldar to withdraw from their competition so soon.  
  
"Hey, stop talking as if I am not here!" whined the Prince in mock irritation. He could hear the concern in Yulion's voice as the other Elf taunted Glorfindel. He was glad that his two suitors cared for each other's feelings. Legolas had a feeling that regardless of what happened at the end of his stay in Rivendell, all of them would remain friends.  
  
"Sorry," replied Yulion sheepishly and bowed his head. He could tell Legolas was not really annoyed and was helping in his act. The Prince's perceptiveness never ceased to amaze the dark-haired recruit. He was looking forward to discover more about this unique beauty.  
  
Their ruse was interrupted by loud crashing sounds in the depths of the mountains. The source of the noise was heading towards them, fast. Though the younger ones could not discern what was approaching, they knew it was big and not friendly. Since the day was meant to be a tour of Imladris, the Elves did not bring their usual weapons with them. Glorfindel had his sword that he carried by his side always and Haldir had his bow and quiver. The others were unarmed.  
  
"Legolas and Yulion, you two go find Haldir. I will stay here and entertain our visitor until you return," said Glorfindel as he calmly took control of the situation.  
  
The Eldar had fought a Balrog before alone, a troll would not have been that much trouble except that he was without range weapons. There was not as much he could do with only a sword. But this was a fact he could not allow the younger Elves to know. Yulion would insist he come along to find Haldir, while the Prince would insist on staying with him, knowing they could not outrun the beast if they all went. Glorfindel needed to know that the young ones were somewhere safe when he fights this battle. Any loss of focus would mean his life.  
  
"Right," replied Legolas as he turned to head towards the direction their companions went earlier. He knew time was of the essence; the sooner they could get help, the less likely that Glorfindel would get hurt.  
  
Yulion, on the other hand, hesitated instead of following his friend. Seeing Glorfindel draw his sword to take his stand, the dark-haired Elf called out, "Hey, old man."  
  
"Yes," answered the Elf-lord as he turned to face the young Rivendell Elf.  
  
"You be careful, okay?" said Yulion before immediately turning to hide his blush. He was concerned for Glorfindel's safety. Any other Elf would feel the same if a friend were standing to face a monster alone. There was no reason to blush at all. He was in love with Legolas, not the fair-haired Lord of Imladris. Though he had to admit the Eldar was very handsome, noble and fun to be with. But still, he was fairly certain he thought of Glorfindel only as a friend.  
  
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There was something in the young Elf's tone that caught Glorfindel's attention. There was concern, which was completely normal; and intermixed with it was a bit of hesitation and shyness. Knowing Yulion as he did now, he knew this was not a usual trait in the young one's personality. The Eldar was old enough to recognize it as the first signs of affections, the beginnings of caring for someone as more than just a friend. But that could not possibly be right. They were both competitors of the Golden Elf's attention. Yulion could not be starting to like him THAT way.  
  
It was at this moment of emotional confusion for both Elves that the cave troll announced his presence. The monster had tossed a well-aimed rock at the ancient Elf; and with his mind far off pondering his personal troubles, Glorfindel did not realize the danger until it was too late.  
  
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Yulion was chastising himself for standing there frozen in place, thinking inappropriately about the Elf-lord, when a strange sensation assaulted him. His heart lurched within his chest and he knew without thinking that Glorfindel was in danger. Spinning round faster than he thought possible, he dove at the ancient Elf, knocking him out of the way of the cave-troll's attack. But the young one had not moved fast enough to avoid getting hit entirely. The impact of the rock sent him flying onto the floor, the pain temporarily immobilizing him. The young Elf could do nothing but watch as the giant rock threatened to crush him and end his life.  
  
By this time, Glorfindel had recovered from his distraction. Nimbly, he leapt to his feet, gathered the fallen Elf into his arms and rolled out of the way as the rock crashed harmlessly into the ground. To say the Elf- lord was furious was an understatement. At this moment, there was nothing Glorfindel would rather do than kill the troll for harming the young Elf in his arms. But the Eldar also knew Yulion's safety came first. He could not fight while carrying his injured companion and he could not outrun the beast either. He only had one option - to hide. As much as it chafed his pride, Glorfindel began to make his way towards a small cave on the hillside.  
  
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Elladan found Haldir sitting alone by a small pool. The twins had annoyed the Lòrien Elf enough earlier that he had abandoned all pretense of civility and walked out on them. The archer even threatened to shoot them if they tried to find him. While Elrohir had taken off in search of the Guardian thinking he was just trying to play hard to get, Elladan knew better. Their incessant bickering was genuinely upsetting Haldir. The older twin knew the Lòrien Elf liked him better when he was not fighting with Elrohir; and he had tried to stop, but his brother just kept baiting him until he had to retort and defend himself.  
  
"Haldir," called out Elladan softly before approaching the Lòrien Elf. At least the archer had not spun round and pointed an arrow at him yet. The older twin took that as a good sign.  
  
"Elladan," sighed the archer. If both twins had found him together, he would not have hesitated to carry out his threat. If it were the younger one, Haldir would have make a show of aiming an arrow at him just to make sure Elrohir knew he was serious. But since it was the older one, the Guardian was at a lost of what to do, so he merely sat there and waited for the other Elf to join him.  
  
"I am sorry about my behavior earlier. I know how much my quarreling with Elrohir bothered you. I really wanted to stop fighting with him, but he kept trying to make me look stupid in front of you, and I really care about how you think of me. I will understand if you don't want..." Elladan was silenced a gentle finger on his lips. When he dared a glance at the Lòrien Elf, he found Haldir smiling warmly at him.  
  
Watching the older twin fumbled to find the right words to apologize, Haldir knew he would risk giving Elladan a chance. The older twin might not be as smooth or charming or smart as his younger brother, but he was much more sensitive and compassionate than Elrohir could ever be. And what mattered the most was that Elladan genuinely cared about him and wanted to make him happy.  
  
Holding the older twin's eyes, Haldir took a deep breath and began, "I remember how Legolas used to say that people could tell from a single kiss if that other person was the right one - the other half of his soul. I have never really had 'this feeling' he described so eloquently before in any of my kisses. And.."  
  
Even the dumbest of Men would know what the Lòrien Elf was trying to say, so Elladan lost no time in leaning towards Haldir to claim the mouth that he had fantasized about since the seductive beauty invited him and Elrohir into his rooms a few nights ago. He could feel his entire body went aflame as their lips met. He wanted to taste the sweetness of the archer's mouth, but he was not sure if Haldir would welcome him. His tongue, having a mind of its own, began tracing the Lòrien Elf's moist, parted lips. Haldir sighed in pleasure as his tongue moved to tangle with Elladan's before retreating, tempting the Rivendell Elf to follow.  
  
This was all the encouragement the older twin needed as he deepened the kiss, thrusting his questing tongue into the willing archer's mouth. Haldir tasted like cinnamon and honey, a blend so sweet and intoxicating that Elladan could lose himself just from the simple taste. Cupping Haldir's head gently with one hand, the older twin began his slow exploration of the Lòrien Elf's mouth. If his senses were not overloaded with the feel of the seductive beauty in his arms, he would be thinking how best he could please Haldir. But as things were, all Elladan could do was pour all his love into this one single kiss.  
  
Haldir swore he had never felt anything like this before. He could feel his body slowly coming alive at each stroke of Elladan's tongue, electricity coursing through his veins sending the most pleasurable tingle to every inch of his skin. All of his senses were heightened, yet dulled to the rest of the world at the same time. All he could feel was the gentle hand caressing his silken locks and rubbing his back, the hot tongue waltzing slowly with his; all he could hear was the sound of their racing hearts and their rhythmic breath as they kissed. If he could still think, he would be wondering if this was the 'feeling' Legolas was referring to. But at the moment, the kiss had robbed him of all conscious thought; only the feel of Elladan around him seemed real.  
  
It was in this state that Legolas found his friend. The Prince could see it was a bad time to disturb the couple. This was a very private moment; that first kiss one shared with one's other half. Yet, the situation was pressing. Glorfindel needed Haldir's help now. Clearing his throat loudly, Legolas startled the older Elves out of their love's first kiss.  
  
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Aragorn rode onto the scene of a troll battering the entrance of a small cave. It was trying to get into the cavern, but it only succeeded in bringing the hillside down, effectively sealing the chamber within. The Man was wondering what the monster was chasing when he saw something that froze his blood. Buried amidst the rubble of the collapsed entrance was a portion of an Elven cloak, darkened with blood.  
  
"Legolas, no!" cried the Man in anguish, fearing the worst the moment his eyes caught sight of the bloodstained garment.  
  
Aragorn's voice drew the troll's attention and the beast took one of the fallen rocks and hurled it at him. But the Man was already on the move. Driven by rage and desperation, the Ranger urged his horse towards the monster, sword held high. He maneuvered his mount to easily dodge the projectiles and slashed deeply into the beast's side as he rode past. The creature roared in pain as he smashed his fist into the Man, but Aragorn was ready and blocked the punch with his sword.  
  
But the troll's strength was great. Though the monster's hand was badly cut by the Man's sword, the impact of the blow sent Aragorn flying off his horse. With agility that reveled any Elf, the Man twisted in the air and landed on his feet. Running swiftly to the pile of rocks at the entrance, Aragorn took full advantage of the higher grounds and plunged his sword into the creature's belly. Crying out in pain, the troll swung his fist at the Man again. Once more, the Ranger was sent flying from the impact of the blow. But this time, Aragorn was ready. He spun in the air, using his momentum to carry him close to the creature's neck. With one power stroke, the Man plunged his sword deep into its throat, killing it instantaneously.  
  
Unluckily for Aragorn, the dead troll collapsed upon where he landed. It was several minutes before the Man managed to free himself of the creature's immense weight. Though his body was bruised and battered, Aragorn paid his injuries no heed as he knelt on the jagged rocks blocking the entrance and began to dig through the rubble with his hands, calling out to his beloved. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Legolas. Things could not end this way - he had never had the chance to tell his Elf how much he loved him.  
  
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"Well at least the troll cannot get in," said Glorfindel as he surveyed the cave they were trapped in. There was a hole at the top that allowed a shaft of sunlight to penetrate the gloomy darkness. The Eldar was certain he would have no problems climbing out from the opening as there were many latches and handholds along the way. But his concern for the injured young Elf held him prisoner in the small cavern.  
  
"Which means we cannot get out either," sighed Yulion, glancing at the collapsed entrance.  
  
"I am sure Legolas and the others will find us soon," comforted the Eldar, understanding the young one's discomfort. Elves were creatures of light; there was nothing they disliked more than being confined in a dark cave.  
  
"Right," said the dark-haired Elf softly as he shifted. The movement, however, did not agree with his injured side, which promptly protested by sending him a wave of sharp pain. Yulion could not help letting out a hiss in response as he clutched the offending area.  
  
"Let me take a look at that," asked the Elf-lord gently. It was his fault that the young one was hurt. He could not believe how careless he was when the troll approached. He should have been concentrating on the enemy instead of thinking about his personal issues.  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing," replied the young one resolutely, pretending that he was not in pain. Yulion knew his injuries were rather severe, but they did not have the medical supplies for proper treatment. There was no point in making the Elf-lord worry when nothing could be done until they were rescued.  
  
"I am going to look at the wound with or without your consent, young one," insisted Glorfindel as he approached the dark-haired Elf, knowing the injuries were a lot more serious than Yulion wanted him to believe.  
  
Seeing the determination in the Elf-lord's eyes, Yulion acquiesced. He was in too much pain to fight Glorfindel. As the ancient Elf undressed him tenderly to get a better look at the wound, he felt the strangest shiver down his spine as their skin came into contact. His stomach knotted as his breath hitched from the heat that pooled in his loins. This was not supposed to be happening! He was in love with Legolas. He was not supposed to respond to another's touch in this manner, even if the other Elf was the extremely attractive Glorfindel.  
  
Sensing the tension in the younger Elf, the Eldar stopped and asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
Annoyed at his own reactions to the Elf-lord's proximity, Yulion quipped, "Just about as all right as anyone would be with some broken ribs."  
  
Glorfindel recoiled at those words, looking as though the young Elf had physically struck him. His guilt was overwhelming. "I'm sorry."  
  
Yulion felt horrible about his sarcastic comment; he could feel the Elf- lord's self-blame in the air. "It's not your fault. If I hadn't been standing there like a statue for that long, I wouldn't be hurt."  
  
Seeing that the Elf-lord still looked depressed, the young Elf teased, glad that the dim light of the cave was hiding his blush, "Come on, you got my shirt off. Aren't you at least going to take a look? I have it on good authority that it's a rather pretty sight."  
  
Glorfindel stared agape at the young one for a minute before responding with a laugh, "You little imp!"  
  
Yulion would have laughed too if his side was not in so much pain. He knew it would be very stupid to begin liking the Elf-lord; it would just be setting himself up for receiving twice the heartbreak if Legolas chose Glorfindel. But he could not help it. Trying to distract himself from his confused emotions, the young recruit focused on the opening at the ceiling of the cave. "Can you climb out from there?"  
  
Glorfindel considered lying for a moment before deciding against it. "Yes, but I want to stay here with you."  
  
"Now, don't be stupid, old man. If you climb out, you can get help to dig me out. It will be much faster that way," reasoned Yulion as he gave the Elf-lord who was still kneeling by his side a little shove.  
  
As much as he did not wish to leave the young one alone, Glorfindel knew Yulion was right. "I will be back."  
  
"I know," whispered Yulion as he smiled at the ancient Elf. Inside, his mind was reeling, wondering why things must be so complicated.  
  
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Glorfindel was greeted by a very strange sight when he reached the collapsed opening of the cave. An injured Aragorn, still dressed in his sleeping robes, knelt at the entrance, and was urgently removing the rocks with his hands as he spoke to pile of rubble.  
  
"Please, my love. Just hang in there. I will get you out in a second."  
  
The Elf-lord was about to approach the Man and stop him when he spotted the Prince, the older twin and Haldir walking onto the scene. Aragorn, completely intent on his task, did not notice their arrival at all.  
  
"Please Legolas, you have to hold on. I love you. I cannot live without you."  
  
Now, the Man was in tears as he dug faster. Poor Aragorn's hands were bleeding from the abuse, but he did not seem to notice. All he cared about was 'rescuing' his beloved Elf.  
  
"I know I am the first person you have ever kissed. And I want you to know that I want you to be the last person I will ever kiss for the rest of my life."  
  
Even Glorfindel could not help being touched by the Man's words. As Elf- lord watched the Prince walked to put a shaky hand on Aragorn's shoulders, he knew those two were meant to be together.  
  
"Aragorn.."  
  
The Golden Elf's voice and touch startled the Man out of his task. Spinning around, Aragorn leapt to his feet and came face to face with his beloved. "Legolas...." whispered the Man as he reached out to touch the Prince's face. He wanted so much for Legolas to be safe that he feared this was just a figment of his imagination. When his bloodied hands connected with the Elf's silken skin, tears of relief flooded the Man's eyes.  
  
"Do you mean what you said just now?" asked the Prince quietly, unsure whether he too had dreamt those words he so wished to hear.  
  
Nodding, Aragorn said softly, "Every word, my Prince. I love you, Legolas of Mirkwood. I know I hurt you badly when I didn't come last night. If you would forgive me..."  
  
The Man never got to finish his apology as he found himself smothered in the Golden Elf's embrace. "Oh, I love you so much, Aragorn," declared Legolas fervently as he moved to initiate a kiss.  
  
As their lips met and tongues danced, a new bond was formed. Their love, having undergone the test of hardship, now burnt brighter than before, an eternal flame that would never be extinguished. No matter what happened in the future, nothing could separate them again. Even death would have no dominion over their love; when the time comes for the lovers to part, Legolas would live on, carrying their love in his immortal heart always.  
  
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The couple broke their kiss at the sound of a clearing throat. "Glorfindel, I..."  
  
"It's all right, Legolas. I just want you to be happy. And now I know no one else can make you happy like this stupid Man here can," said the Elf- lord as he walked to join the pair at the entrance of the cave. It hurt to see Legolas with Aragorn, but strangely enough, he was not completely heart- broken. Though he was sad, he felt free - free to begin his life anew without the burden of his unrequited love, free to love another and be loved in return.  
  
Smiling at the two couples before him, Glorfindel spoke, "Now that everyone seems to have their personal issues sorted out, we have an injured Elf to rescue."  
  
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Glorfindel glanced at the young Elf in his arms with concern. He knew it must hurt Yulion to see the Prince and Man together. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Other than the pain from my side?" asked the dark-haired Elf teasingly.  
  
"Yes, other than the pain," sighed the Elf-lord as he rolled his eyes at the young one. This was something he could never do with Legolas, even if the Prince were his mate. There was too much politics and courtesy between them for Glorfindel to act so freely in front of the Golden Elf. Though he had been infatuated with the beauty for a very long time, he had never considered the reality of being the Prince's mate. Perhaps what he thought his heart desired was not what he truly wanted after all.  
  
"Well, I will be lying if I say it doesn't hurt to watch Legolas with someone else. But the truth is that it doesn't hurt half as much as I thought it would. It's like I am not really as in love with him as I think I am. You know what I mean?" shrugged Yulion as much as he could with his injuries in the confines of Glorfindel's strong arms.  
  
"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," replied Glorfindel with a smile as he looked tenderly at the young one in his arms. Life was full of surprises indeed. He supposed all he could do was make the most of out of it.  
  
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So it was that this day marked the beginning of a new chapter of the lives of five Elves and a Man. Though much hardship still lied ahead, they were undaunted as they looked to the future with hope. Whatever tomorrow held, they were no longer alone. 


End file.
